Ron Reardon

As most of you know from previous issues of The Disclosure®, March 31, 2006 will be Joy Bryant’s last day as Executive Director of NAPP. Joy founded this organization and has been its guiding force over the last 10 years. We are fortunate that, under Joy’s leadership, a robust infrastructure has been built. We have a sterling web site with a strong engine that supports the NAPP® Patent Practice Forum, the NAPP® General Discussion Forum, the NAPP® Job Bank, the Find a Practitioner database, membership activation, and online event registration.

Insofar as the day-to-day activities of running NAPP are concerned, Joy has compiled an operations manual that details each activity of the Executive Director. This operations manual will be my guide and will facilitate my transition to taking full rein of the organization. Between the web site, the operations manual, the regional and annual meetings, the e-mail discussion lists, and everything else that NAPP has to offer, you will continue to receive excellent value from your NAPP® membership.
After March 31, Joy will continue to plan our 2006 annual meeting in Alexandria (next door to the USPTO). Having seen the speaker and topic lineup, I believe that Joy is putting together one of the strongest annual meeting programs in the history of NAPP. This will be our 10th anniversary meeting and is a must-attend event that members will be talking about for years to come.
Which brings me to my next topic: we will be electing new directors at our annual meeting. Since Joy has already decided not to run for re-election as a director, we have one known vacancy to fill. NAPP’s Vice President, Rich Farr, heads up the nomination committee for directors and is looking for qualified members for our leadership team. We need volunteers to run as directors. Please give serious consideration to sharing your expertise in this way. You can reach Rich at: rich@rmfassociates.com.
 

We will also have a vacancy to fill for the position of Vice President. Rich Farr has tendered his resignation, citing personal reasons, effective at the July annual meeting. We wish Rich much success in his future endeavors. It is hoped that the Vice President will serve with the intent to eventually becoming President. Therefore, we are looking for candidates that are eager to become a leader for this great and growing organization. If you are interested in the position of Vice President of NAPP, please contact me at president@napp.org.
 

NAPP has experienced good steady growth over the years. Even with that track record, we still have less than 10% of the total number of registered patent practitioners as members. With Board approval, we will soon launch an aggressive campaign to further grow our membership. Our primary focus will be on patent agents, since they constitute roughly two thirds of our membership. Our initial efforts will target patent agents located in the geographical areas of our regional chapters of New Jersey, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Georgia.

Even though Joy is leaving as Executive Director, NAPP will continue to grow and provide great value to the membership. We have a solid foundation; we have momentum; we have 10 years of accumulated wisdom. I look forward to our progress in meeting the needs of current and future NAPP members.
 

Introducing PAIR 6.0

By Joy L. Bryant, Esq.

On February 23, 2006 the USPTO introduced PAIR 6.0.  This program is a web-based program using the true-pass system, thereby eliminating the need for USPTO Direct.  If you already have an existing secure certificate, you can use that certificate to access PAIR 6.0. 

To access PAIR 6.0, log in the USPTO website at www.uspto.gov.  Under "Patents," click on Status & IFW.  From here, click on "PAIR" in the left toolbar.  Click on "private pair."  This will bring you to an intermediate page (that will eventually disappear).  Click on "enter private pair."  This will bring you to a user authentication page. From here you can use the browse button to access your information from USPTO Direct and this will bring you into PAIR 6.0.

Key features/upgrades to PAIR 6.0 include a new First Action Prediction tab.  By selecting this tab, applicants are able to get a sense of when they will receive a first office action.  They will also be able to generate a status letter.  Additional features include the ability to change the information associated with a particular customer number.  In the Fall, the USPTO intends to introduce a feature where practitioners can change the attorney docket number as well.

To access the training program that aired on February 23, visit:  http://webex.client.ninesystems.com/uspto

March 29, 2006 - Website Hints

Conrad Leikauf, Esq. will be providing a teleconference on Website Hints on March 29, 2006 at 8:00 pm. (EST).  To register for the teleconference, click here.

The views expressed herein are solely those of the author and may not necessarily be supported by the NAPP, its members, officers, or directors.

PTO Day: Revised Patent Fee Structure

By Nancy Baum Delain, Esq.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) held a conference, PTO Day, on December 5, 2005 at which they presented updated information on patent practice. This article is based on information presented at that conference concerning patent filing fees and petition fees, and is intended merely to disseminate information that the USPTO considered important enough to present at PTO Day.

The Disclosure® welcomes the submission of articles on topics related to US and foreign patent practice.  To submit  an article to The Disclosure®, please send it as an e-mail attachment to editor@napp.org.
 

Joy L. Bryant, Esq.

THANK YOU NAPP!

This is my last article as Executive Director of NAPP.  My last official day is March 31, however, I will remain as a Director of NAPP until my term expires in July.  In this capacity, I will continue to plan NAPP's Annual Meeting and Short Course program. 

I would like to personally thank the members of NAPP for rewarding me with 10 wonderful years.  As the founder of NAPP, first President, and Executive Director, I was able to achieve things I never imagined.  To give some background, my youngest child was only 13 months old when I founded NAPP—she is now 11 years old and my son is 14.  During my tenure at NAPP, I was provided with the following opportunities:

• Testifying before the USPTO numerous times on proposed rulemakings;
• Publishing a book, "Protecting Your Ideas:  The inventor's guide to patents" - Academic Press;
• Working with Congressional staffers on the American Inventor's Protection Act of 1999;
• Attending William & Mary Law School;
• Testifying before the National Academy of Public Administration; and, most importantly,
• Meeting and working with many talented and dedicated patent professionals.

Each of the items listed above exceeded my expectations of what I thought I would accomplish by founding NAPP.  My goals were simple and straightforward: to establish a network and communication system between patent practitioners, and to provide a means for patent agents to obtain professional liability insurance. These goals were not only accomplished but exceeded.  I have you, the members of NAPP, to thank for this.

Some of you have inquired what I will be doing once I leave NAPP.  My simple reply—REST.  After 10 years of "volunteer" work for the profession, I want to step back, enjoy my family and get some rest.  I believe that I will be able to accomplish this, knowing that I am leaving NAPP in the capable hands of Ron Reardon, NAPP's officers and its directors.  I also know that you, the members of NAPP, will continue to see to it that NAPP remains a successful organization.

Thank you NAPP!

Celebrate NAPP'S 10th Anniversary  - Alexandria, Virginia July 15-18, 2006

The 2006 NAPP® Annual Meeting will be held in Old Town Alexandria, adjacent to the US Patent and Trademark Office. 

This year's programming is bound to outdo any meeting we have had in the past.  Here is a sampling of some of the presentations:

• Nuts & Bolts Short Course - Saturday, July 15.  The presentations are geared for new practitioners.
• Meeting presentations by NAPP members will include:  Claim Drafting (Louis Hoffman); Foreign Patent Laws Affecting US Practice (James Bolcsak); Written Description Requirement (Sean Brennan); Federal Circuit Update (Scott Chambers).
• Steve Kunin will present on Offshoring.
• USPTO Speakers will include:  John Doll - 21st Century Plan; Joni Chang - Rule Package Update; Bill Stryjewski - WebEFS:  The new electronic patent application filing system; Harry Moatz - Avoiding Disciplinary Actions.
• Tuesday's program will focus on ethics. Speakers from the Virginia Bar will present on the following topics:  Death & Disability of a Solo/Small Firm Practitioner (Frank Brown, Jr.); Lawyers Helping Lawyers (substance abuse) (James Leffler); Conflicts of Interest (Leslie Haley & Janean  Johnston).  In addition, Larry Hilton (Dominion Insurance Services) will present on risk management.  Harry Moatz's presentation will take place as part of this program.

A luncheon will be held on Monday, July 17.  The luncheon will be co-sponsored by Heath Lambert (Rob Gladdis & Karen Dean) and Dominion Insurance Services (Larry Hilton).

The Anniversary Celebration will take place at a reception on Monday evening, July 17.  This reception is co-sponsored by National Patent Services (Tom Hamill) and Stevens Davis Miller and Moser (Tony Venturino).

Registration will be available on our website (www.napp.org) after April 15.

Donna Fugit has agreed to serve as the new Regional Chapter Director for this chapter.  The next  meeting of the New Jersey Regional Chapter will be held in March 2006.