ABSTRACT
The major issues in online filing of patents arise in the security of transmission and authentication of the filer. These issues have kept the patent offices busy designing secure systems. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is ahead of the rest of the world in implementing an almost-complete system of online filing of patents; the European Patent Office (EPO) started accepting online filings in mid-2002, and in mid-2003 the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will begin accepting online PCT applications at first to the International Bureau only and then gradually to other receiving offices. Sufficient details of the operations of the online filing systems of the three organizations are provided in this book to prepare you for acquiring the hardware and software needed to benefit from this remarkable change in the way patents are developed and filed.
