USPTO Announces Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC) To Handle IFW Image Problem Inquiries from Customers

The Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC) will be the organizational contact for customers regarding questions about IFW images viewed in PAIR.

PAIR provides a private Internet-based access to patent application status and history information as well as the ability to view the scanned images of each customer’s own application file folder(s). PAIR also provides a public Internet-based access to published patent and pending application status and history as well as the ability to view the scanned images of the application folder, provided that the published serial number has gone through the Image File Wrapper process. For information regarding PAIR, see our website.

The Patent EBC will ensure that customer inquiries are handled consistently and resolved appropriately. Examples of IFW problems include:

• Images not viewable to the customer
• Images incorrectly indexed or identified in IFW

However, not all image problems can be fixed. Examples of problems that cannot be fixed include:

• Poor quality originals
• Skewed images will only be fixed if the skewing obliterates text
• Black lines in images if no text is obliterated

1. Contact the Patent EBC via e-mail or phone (contact information is listed below) to report an IFW Problem. When contacting the Patent EBC, include:
   
   • Application Serial Number or Patent Number
   • Image Problem Document Type
   • Number of Pages
   • The nature of the problem (be as specific as possible)
2. The Patent EBC will refer the problem for resolution.
3. The Patent EBC will notify you of the resolution within 5-7 business days. You can also check PAIR to confirm that the problem has been corrected.

Contact Information

The Patent EBC is a complete customer service center that supports all Patent e-business products and service applications. Patent EBC representatives can be reached at 703-305-3028 or toll free at 866-217-9197 between the hours of 6 a.m. and midnight Monday through Friday EST , or by e-mail at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .