Customer Panel Quality Survey

OMB No: 0651-0057
Expiration Date: 10/31/2009

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it
displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number of this information collection is 0651-0057. The time
required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 10 minutes per response, including the time to review
instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you
have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to:
Chief Information Officer, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Washington DC 20231. If you have comments or concerns
regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Martin Rater, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office,
Patent Quality Assurance, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

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OMB No: 0651-0057
Expiration Date: 10/31/2009

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PURPOSE OF THE UNITED STATES PATENT
AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)
CUSTOMER PANEL QUALITY SURVEY

This United States Patent and Trademark Office Customer Panel Quality Survey is an
instrument designed to measure your opinions about the services that we provide for you. The
results from this voluntary survey will assist us in guiding improvements and enhancements
in the future.

Survey Completion Instructions
Please complete the survey based upon your overall experience working with
U.S. Patent Examiners over the past 3 month time period.
We estimate that it will take no longer than 10 minutes to complete the survey. If you have
any questions, please call Howard King at Westat, at 1-888-516-1169 or send an email to
[email protected].

Your participation is entirely voluntary, and if you choose to complete the survey, all of your
responses will remain completely confidential.

Special Internet Option:
You have the option of responding to this survey over the Internet. Please see the materials
that accompanied this survey for instructions. If you respond using the Internet, please discard
this survey.

Thank you for your assistance.

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Summer 2008 Customer Panel Quality Survey
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU, OUR CUSTOMER

1. What is your affiliation?

c
d
e
f

Law Firm or Sole Practitioner
Corporation
Independent Inventor
Other (University, Federal Government, etc.)

2. Which technology field listed below best describes the majority of patent applications you
have filed over the past 3 months? (SELECT ONLY ONE)

c
d
e
f
g

Chemical (Technology Centers 1600 or 1700)
Electrical (Technology Centers 2100, 2600, or 2800)
Mechanical (Technology Centers 3600 or 3700)
Designs (Technology Center 2900)
Did not file a patent application in the past 3 months

3. Approximately how many Office Actions have you received during the past 3 months?

c
d
e
f
g
h

1 to 10
11 to 20
21 to 30
31 to 50
51 or more
Have not received an Office Action in the past 3 months

4. How often have you communicated over the telephone or in person with USPTO Patent
Examiners in the past 3 months?

c
d
e
f
g

Have not communicated with patent examiners in the past 3 months
Only once
Rarely
Occasionally
Often

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PATENT EXAMINERS’ DECISIONS

5. Consider your experiences over the past 3 months. Please think about the rules and
procedures Patent Examiners must adhere to in their decisions. To what extent did the
Patent Examiners you worked with adhere to the following rules and procedures with
respect to:

Not At
All

Small
Extent

Moderate
Extent

Large
Extent

Don’t
Know/Not
Applicable

a. Citing appropriate prior art

c

d

e

f

g

b. Treating all claims

c

d

e

f

g

c. Providing enough information to
advance prosecution
d. Substantively addressing your
responses to Office Actions
e. Following appropriate restriction
practice

c

d

e

f

g

c

d

e

f

g

c

d

e

f

g

REJECTIONS PRACTICE

6. Consider all rejections you have received over the past 3 months. How often do you think
the rejections made under the following statutes were reasonable in terms of being
technically, legally, and logically sound with respect to:

a. 35 U.S.C. 101 Rejections
b. 35 U.S.C. 102 Rejections
c. 35 U.S.C. 103 Rejections
d. 35 U.S.C. 112 Rejections,
Paragraph 1
e. 35 U.S.C. 112 Rejections,
Paragraph 2

Rarely

Some of
the
Time

Most of
the
Time

All of
the
Time

Don’t
Know/Not
Applicable

c
c
c
c

d
d
d
d

e
e
e
e

f
f
f
f

g
g
g
g

c

d

e

f

g

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OVERALL EXAMINATION QUALITY

7. In the past 3 months, how would you rate overall examination quality….

c
d
e
f
g

Very Poor
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent

8. In the past 3 months, has overall examination quality….

c
d
e
f
g

Significantly Declined
Slightly Declined
Stayed the Same
Slightly Improved
Significantly Improved

9. In the past 3 months, have you experienced problems with the consistency of examination
quality from one examiner to another?

c
d
e

Yes, to a large degree
Yes, to a small degree
No

QUALITY INITIATIVES

10. Is there any one aspect of patent examination quality that, if addressed satisfactorily,
would significantly improve your overall assessment of quality?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

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11. You may be selected to participate in this survey again. If you are interested in
completing this survey online, please provide your email address below:

Thank you for completing this survey.
Your information will be invaluable as we improve the
quality of our services for you, our customer!

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