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Patent Proofreading | Quick Prior art search              

Proofreading is the act of finding and correcting mistakes. It gives us an opportunity to make sure that no important element, detail end part is being missed or overlooked. Elements of patent proofreading embrace descriptive linguistics, punctuation, spelling, formatting, visual consistency and structure.

Once the drafting of a patent application is complete the text must be carefully read, analyzed and methodically re-checked. Patent Proofreading can be carried out at any stage of patent prosecution and the errors can be corrected by way of filing voluntary amendments. Patent proofreading is crucial and the final step of patent prosecution.

The process of Quick Prior art search helps identify critical errors. These errors have an impact on the invention and can lead to opposition, infringement and even abandonment. Such errors might be in any section of the patent and should be corrected immediately via preliminary amendment, 1.312 Amendment, Article 19, Article 34 etc.

Not getting a patent proofread is one of the most unfortunate oversights that an applicant can make. A significant percentage of issued patents have errors in them as is evident in the number of filed for granted patents week after week. About 12-15 percent of all patents issued require a certificate of correction.

Broadly the errors fall into the following category.

1.      Typographical and grammatical

2.      Amendments with respect to changes in text of the Abstract, Specification and Claims.

3.      Amendments with respect to changes in Inventor ship, Assignment, Domestic & Foreign Priorities.    

4.      Replacement sheets – Amendments to drawings.

5.      Uniformity in typefaces throughout the document. Formatting consistency, order, and numbering of images and tables. All numerical data.  

6.      Claim dependencies and antecedents.

The USPTO does not provide the applicant with a copy of the patent text before final printing. Hence the patents are enforceable as they are granted (with errors embedded in their text). The onus of correcting these errors whether critical or not lies with the applicant. While the PTO errors are corrected free of cost, correction of applicant errors involves a fee of $150.

Application Proofreading

Application Proofreading gives an opportunity to attorneys to correct applications at a very early stage even before the application is filed with the PTO.

 Publication Proofreading

The published application is checked for incorporation of preliminary amendments and bibliographic data. Post Grant Proofreading The granted patent is checked for content of the application as filed along with amendments vs what is granted.

 Post Grant Proofreading

Helps attorneys to correct errors in granted patent via CoC, thereby reducing the chances of re-examination, re-issue and infringement. Proofreading is a critical process and it is worth the additional effort!

 BarcodeIP is a paralegal & secretarial support services firm based in New Delhi, India. It offers patent proofreading services at three stages of a patent life cycle – draft application, publication and post grant. Our reports facilitate a decision on filing a Certification of Correction at the post grant stage. We deliver ready to file Preliminary Amendments, Replacement Sheets and Certificate of Corrections.

   Contact for  Services       http://www.barcodeip.com/