SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- PATENT COOPERATION TREATY APPLICATION SEARCH AND EXAMINATION SUPPORT FOR THE U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
- Notice Date
- 4/12/2002
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, Patent and Trademark Office (PTO), Office of Procurement, Box 6, Washington, DC, 20231
- ZIP Code
- 20231
- Solicitation Number
- SS-PAPT-2-10002
- Response Due
- 5/27/2002
- Archive Date
- 6/11/2002
- Point of Contact
- Todd Richards, Contracting Officer, Phone (703) 305-8016, Fax (703) 305-8294,
- E-Mail Address
-
todd.richards@uspto.gov
- Description
- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION SEARCH AND EXAMINATION SUPPORT FOR THE USPTO INTRODUCTION: The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is conducting market research to identify organizations that have the technical capabilities to support Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) activities performed at the USPTO. This market research shall be conducted at NO COST TO THE GOVERNMENT. This announcement is a Request For Information (RFI), not a solicitation announcement for proposals, and accordingly, no contract will be awarded from this announcement. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement or any follow-up information requests. No telephone calls requesting a solicitation will be accepted or acknowledged. There is no solicitation available at this time nor is there any guarantee or promise of a solicitation in the future. Any information provided to USPTO as a result of this announcement shall focus on the capability to provide scientific and technical services, as defined below. Strong relationships with industry is a top priority of USPTO, and USPTO wishes to express its appreciation in advance to all organizations that choose to provide information in accordance with this announcement. BACKGROUND: As an International Searching Authority under Chapter I of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the USPTO receives international applications that require the performance of an international search to discover relevant prior art. This international search is made on the basis of the application?s claims and results in the preparation of an international search report. The substance of the search report consists of the most pertinent prior art cited against the claims of the Chapter I application according to PCT convention. As an International Preliminary Examining Authority under Chapter II of the PCT, the USPTO receives ?demands? from international applicants for international preliminary examination of an application. The international preliminary examination takes into consideration all of the prior art cited in the international search report. If analysis of this prior art supports a determination that any claim lacks novelty, non-obviousness, or industrial applicability, a written opinion is required to be sent to the applicant. Following an applicant?s response, a preliminary, non-binding examination report is prepared. This examination report states, relative to each application claim, whether the claim appears to satisfy the criteria of novelty, non-obviousness, and industrial applicability. Both Chapter I applications and Chapter II demands filed with the USPTO are initially reviewed and processed in PCT Operations. Chapter II demands are associated with the corresponding Chapter I application file. Following completion of the initial processing, each application or demand is forwarded to the appropriate Tech Center (TC) where its contents are reviewed and analyzed and the appropriate action is taken. For a Chapter I application, a complete and comprehensive search of pertinent art is conducted, and a search report is prepared. For a Chapter II demand, the prior art is reviewed, a written opinion is prepared when required, and a preliminary examination report is prepared. The search or examination report and/or the written opinion is reviewed for completeness and quality after which it, along with the application file, is returned to PCT Operations where staff mail the report and the file is sent to the PCT file room for storage. The USPTO is considering acquiring services to perform searches and prepare search reports for PCT applications filed under Chapter I AND/OR to perform examination and prepare written opinions and preliminary examination reports for PCT Chapter II demands. USPTO is anxious to hear from organizations that can perform EITHER Chapter I OR Chapter II services. Performance of this work requires technical knowledge sufficient to understand and analyze the technical patent application, knowledge and understanding of the U.S. and International Patent Classification (IPC) Systems, and the ability to conduct in-depth searches using a variety of electronic databases. Additionally, this work requires technical knowledge sufficient to understand and analyze the technical patent application and related prior art, knowledge and understanding of the US and IPC systems, and the ability to determine the novelty, non-obviousness, and industrial applicability of claimed inventions. USPTO is also seeking industry opinions concerning performance-based measurements. Specifically, USPTO would like to gather opinions as to what measurements a contractor feels would be applicable for a potential contract for services described in this announcement. Additionally, USPTO is seeking industry opinion as to what would be a fair and accurate methodology for assessing past performance for a potential solicitation regarding these services. CHAPTER I SCOPE: Any provider of Chapter I services will: 1. Review and analyze PCT applications, conduct for each claim in an application appropriate and comprehensive searches of pertinent electronic databases, and prepare the required search reports within 30 days of receiving applications; 2. As needed, draft or redraft an abstract for each application and develop an appropriate application title. CHAPTER II SCOPE: Any provider of Chapter II services will: 1. Review each of the claims contained in an international application; consider, at a minimum, all documents cited in the associated international search report; determine whether each claim appears to satisfy the criteria of novelty, inventive step (non-obviousness), and industrial applicability; prepare a written opinion within 30 days of receiving the demand request; consider any applicant response to written opinions; and prepare a preliminary examination report within 30 days of receiving the applicant response or the end of the response period. For Chapter I services, the USPTO may require entry of data into USPTO?s Patent Application Locating and Monitoring (PALM) system and/or other data bases, and will require the submission of periodic performance reports, close coordination with the USPTO to address problems with applications, and the preparation of complete and high-quality search reports. Chapter II services may require written opinions, and/or examination reports in accordance with required formats. For Chapter I services, appropriate databases to be utilized in the searching of applications will be determined in accordance with guidance provided by the USPTO. Additionally, review of biotech sequence applications will utilize search reports provided by the USPTO from its ABSS system or other source for Chapter I services. For either Chapter I or Chapter II services, source documents may be provided electronically or on paper. Any provider of either Chapter I or Chapter II services will be required to maintain the confidentiality of all patent applications and related data to which access is provided. Furthermore, each employee will be required to sign a nondisclosure statement. Approximately 23,000 applications are expected to require preparation of a Chapter I search report in FY 02. Approximately 22,000 demands are expected to be received and require preparation of a Chapter II examination report; the majority of these will also require the preparation of a written opinion. REFERENCE SOURCES: The following web sites may be accessed for information pertaining to this market research: ? Manual of Classification (US) and US/IPC Concordance: http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/ ? Examiner?s Handbook on the US Patent Classification system: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/sir/co/examhbk/index.htm ? International Patent Classification (IPC): http://classifications.wipo.int/fultext/newipc/index.htm ? IPC Guide http://www.wipo.org/classifications/en/ipc/manual/index.htm ? PCT Rules, Forms, Fees, and Related Information including the US Manual of Patent Examining Procedure?MPEP) http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapps/pct/index.html INSTRUCTIONS: Businesses or other organizations with the capability of providing either Chapter I and/or Chapter II services are invited to submit, in writing, sufficient information that demonstrates the ability to fulfill this requirement, information concerning performance-based contract measurement recommendations, and information concerning past performance evaluation recommendations. Responses shall not exceed 40 pages, and standard company brochures are not desired. Questions regarding this RFI should be submitted via email to: pctteam@uspto.gov. Please do not call with questions. Questions and answers, along with this announcement, will be continually updated and made available at the following web site: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/comp/proc/projanno.htm Responses, including the vendor?s business status (e.g., small, small disadvantaged, minority-owned, 8(a), etc.) should be mailed via US Postal Service to the following address: Responses to this RFI are due back to PTO by 5:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, May 23, 2002. Please mail all information to: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Attn: Todd Richards Office of Procurement Box 6 Washington, DC 20231 Or hand carry/courier to: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Attn: Todd Richards Office of Procurement 2011 Crystal Drive, PK1, Ste. 810 Arlington, VA 22202 SUMMARY: Again, PTO appreciates your assistance with this market research and emphasizes that this effort is for PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY and the information submitted WILL NOT be treated as a Request for Proposal.
- Record
- SN00058686-W 20020414/020412213129 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
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