ADS has two USPTO customer number fields - filled separately by AppColl

[GeorgeJ4336]

AppColl nicely generates USPTO filled-in forms from a matter detail page, including generating Application Data Sheets (ADSs).

There are two USPTO Customer Number fields in an ADS: one in the "Correspondence Information" box and another in the "Representative Information" box. AppColl apparently uses the client's customer number (if there is one, otherwise it uses the matter's attorney customer number if there is one, otherwise the attorney's address) for the matter to fill in the first box, but AppColl apparently uses the law firm's attorney's customer number (if there is one, otherwise it uses the client's customer number if it has one, otherwise the attorney's address) for the second box. Thus, it is possible for AppColl to generate an ADS with two different customer numbers. This does not inherently pose a problem, but for AppColl users who have multiple customer numbers, such as some customer numbers they share with clients, care should be exercised.

According to a customer service representative at the USPTO, the difference between the two ADS fields is as follows: The PTO will send correspondence to the address associated to the "Correspondence Information" customer number and give that customer number access to the application via Patent Center. The PTO will accept prosecution instructions, such as amendments, from practitioners associated with the customer number in the "Representative Information" field. While these two things seem quite similar, the representative noted that the Representative Information customer number can be used to provide access to the application by a number of practitioners, such as via a power of attorney (if the PoA lists a customer number), although the PTO would not necessarily send correspondence to these practitioners.

This came up, because I have a client that wants me to use a customer number that includes its in-house patent agent. So, I have a special customer number for just this client's work. I put that customer number in the client's contact record, and AppColl puts this number in the Correspondence Information customer number field of ADSs. But, AppColl puts my firm's main customer number in the other ADS field (Representative Information). So, if I don't manually change it to the client-specific customer number, the generated ADS has two different customer numbers.

This led to an awkward situation. An examiner allowed the in-house patent agent to sit in on an interview but not talk, because the in-house agent was listed only under the Correspondence Information customer number, not under the Representative Information customer number.

Again, this doesn't necessarily pose a problem, but AppColl users should be aware of how these two ADS fields are filled.

I do, however, wish AppColl provided us control over which database fields are used to populate each of the ADS customer number fields. Perhaps some check boxes on the matter details page could be used to select which database fields are used.

-George

[support_appcoll]

Hi George - good information, thanks for posting.