USPTO Schedules Early November Maintenance for Patent Trial and Appeal Case Tracking System

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has scheduled routine maintenance for its Patent Trial and Appeal Case Tracking System (PTACTS) on Saturday, November 7, 2020. The maintenance period will run from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Eastern Time, during which the system will be unavailable.

During this maintenance window, the USPTO will not accept credit or debit card payments for fees associated with petitions. Filers are advised to complete any necessary fee payments either before the maintenance begins or after it concludes.

Parties with deadlines for filing petitions or other documents related to pending America Invents Act (AIA) cases should be aware that PTACTS will not be accessible during this time. The USPTO recommends using alternate filing methods to ensure timely submissions.

For questions or assistance, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) can be contacted on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time at 571-272-9797. Inquiries may also be directed via email to Trials@uspto.gov.

Additionally, remote employees experiencing issues related to this maintenance can consult the USPTO’s internal system status platform for updates and support.

The USPTO emphasizes the importance of planning ahead to avoid disruptions in case management and fee processing during the scheduled maintenance period. Users of PTACTS should take note of these details to maintain compliance with filing deadlines and payment requirements.

This maintenance is part of the USPTO’s ongoing efforts to ensure the reliability and security of its electronic case management systems.

The USPTO website confirms that its official .gov domain uses secure connections, indicated by a lock icon or https:// prefix, ensuring that sensitive information is protected when submitted through official channels.

Official reference: View the original document.