As a patent attorney you want the numbers of clients choosing you growing indefinitely. However, with this increase in number your work load also increases. It is because you can’t abandon the earlier clients after filing their patent application. You need to be with them till they get their patent registered. At the same time you need to focus on your present client also in developing their patent application. So there is no point in having large number of clients, if you can’t manage them well. Do you know “what is patent docketing?” If you don’t then consider it as a tool that will help you manage all your clients together without any chaos.
This article will answer all your doubts you have in this regard. So read in full to know, what is patent docketing? What is its importance?
Also read: What does a Patent Paralegal Do?
Meaning of Patent Docketing
Having patent docketing system in your attorney will help you keep track of upcoming deadlines. It alerts the patent attorneys of upcoming important dates. This way, you can take the required steps at time and get patent registration for your clients at earliest.
However over the years, it has evolved with more than just be a deadline tracking. It now enables you to store information, notes, documents, images, etc. of your clients. Patent docketing stores all this data electronically and allows you to access the file of any of your clients anytime you want. Thus all the paper work goes less.
It involves receiving of correspondence from patent office, reviewing it, and entering it into the system. For more integrity, you can double check the data. Following is the process of patent docketing:
- File of the clients are given an application number
- Reviewing of correspondence received from patent office
- Adding notes/images to describe the matter more clearly
- Preparing the database having deadlines and reminders for clients
- It also enables you creating a status report
- In the end, you can effectively communicate with clients and update them the status of their matter.
Also read: Patent office action: Understand How to tackle it?
Important things to know about it
As a patent attorney having patent docketing system is very important to meet your clients expectations. But the question is, what is patent docketing and how to have it. Attorneys can develop patent docketing system with resources already present with them. Thus, if you want to develop patent docketing system for yourself, you can take help of spreadsheets, database, or calendars, etc.
But this in-house patent docketing system may not give you all round benefits you can get. Thus, for this purpose you can hire third party vendors to give you this service. They specialize in providing electronic docketing software. However, no matter what kind of docketing system you have. It is essential to have some kind of docketing system.
Many people have myth that it is just a data entry process, yes it is true, but it is the half-truth. The docketers who enter the data in the system are patent paralegal experts who have full knowledge of IP domain. That’s why it is important to hire third party agent for providing patent docketing. The docketer who is an IP professional understands what information must be entered into it. Thus, if the docketer doesn’t have the IP knowledge the system will not perform efficiently and lot of errors will happen.
Also read: How to draft a patent application?
What is the importance of patent docketing system?
Intellectual property profession deals with very complex matters of patents, trademarks, office actions, litigation cases, etc. Each of these matters has its own process a rules & regulation. Thus, if you will miss deadline from patent office on these matters, you will have to spend hefty amount to revive the application again. That’s why hiring quality docketing system of professional patent paralegals is important. They dictate the success of your IP law firm.
Thus if you are still wonder what is patent docketing, then, here is a simple definition for you. It is a tool for organizing and managing client information and the deadlines of their applications. Having a good docketing system gives you peace and full confidence to handle all your clients effectively.
Also read: IP Paralegal Role in Patent Validation and Prior Arts
Who provides best patent docketing services?
Now you understand that what patent docketing means, you also understand that it is important for the success of your IP law firm. Thus you need to take the help of a professional docketing expert, who can effectively handle the clients of your law firm. This is where we “Patent Paralegal Force” stand firm with you at every step.
Hiring us you get the full-fledged team of experienced patent professionals. We work with state of the art tools to give you most effective and reliable service. Our bucket of service include, docketing system, preparing patent and trademark application, proofreading it, etc. Our reliable services have earned us, clients in over 45+ countries. You can read more about us here.