The following article and video outlines the steps for creating foreign annuity payment tasks. Please note: The exact dates used are not to be taken as law. Rather, they are used strictly to show how the process would work. It would be up to the user to verify the actual due dates for tasks such as this.

Managing foreign annuity payments can be complex because they often require recurring deadlines that extend for the life of the patent. AppColl allows you to automate this process by creating a task type that not only triggers the initial payment deadline but also automatically generates the subsequent year's deadline once the current payment is marked as complete.

In this guide, we will use an Australian application as an example where the annuity is due 12 months after the filing date and every 12 months thereafter.

Step 1: Create the Task Type and Initial Triggers

To begin, navigate to the Tasks module and select Manage Task Types. Please note that you must be an administrator to access this section.

1. Click Add to create a new task type.
2. Name the task (e.g., "Pay Australian Annuity").
3. Set the Task Owner (typically the Attorney for the matter).
4. Set the Triggers. For the initial deadline, you want the task to generate when the filing dateis entered for an Australian matter.
   • Select: When a specific field in a matter changes -> Filing Date.
   • Add a limitation: While a specific field in the matter contains a specific value -> Country Code contains AU.
   • Optional: You may also wish to exclude specific matter types, such as Trademarks, if necessary.
     
     

Step 2: Set the Initial Deadline

Next, define when the first payment is due.

1. In the Respond By section, set the date calculation.
2. For this example, select Matter Filing Date plus 12 Months.
3. Click Apply Changes to save the basic task structure.

At this stage, if you enter a filing date on an Australian matter, AppColl will generate a single task due in one year. However, it will not yet generate the recurring payment for the following year.

Step 3: Configure Recurring Logic

To ensure the task regenerates annually, you must add a secondary trigger and deadline using the "Or If Later" logic.

1. Return to the task type you just created.
2. Under TResponse Date, select the Or if later option to add a second condition.
3. Under Trigger Events, select the checkbox "Add 'When' condition OR'd with previous events
4. Add: When a specific task completes with a given state.
5. Choose the task name itself (e.g., "Pay Australian Annuity") and set the state to Completed.
   • Important Note: Do not use "When a specific task completes" without specifying the state. If you do not specify the state, marking a task as "Not Needed" (for example, if a case is abandoned) would still trigger a new annuity task for the next year. By selecting Completes with a given state -> Completed, you ensure the next task is only created if the payment was actually made.
     
     

Step 4: Set the Recurring Deadline

Finally, tell AppColl how to calculate the date for the subsequent tasks.

1. Under the Respond By section, look for the Or If Later options.
2. Select Triggering Task Respond By Date.
3. Add 12 Months.

This logic tells the system: "When the current year's annuity task is marked as Completed, create a new task due 12 months after the previous task's due date."

Summary

By utilizing the Or If Later function and linking the trigger to the completion of the previous task, you create a continuous loop. Every time you complete an annuity payment, AppColl immediately schedules the next one, ensuring you never miss a recurring deadline.

Additionally, the user interface now requires that you hover over the Tasks Module menu option at the top of the page to Manage Task Types.