Export Your Patent Applications With Edge

This week Edge is shipping an important feature: you can now export your patents to apply to USPTO. However, this feature is more complex than it seems, which is why it is getting a whole blog post this week.

Edge works with a unique editor that is designed for patents, from easy figure editing to project management features. But when it comes time to file, USPTO doesn’t accept an Edge file (yet). It only accepts a .docx file and is publishing the new rules on January 17, 2024. Although you are allowed to include a backup PDF, USPTO charges a surcharge for non-.docx submissions, and they are steep—$400 for large entities and $250 for pro hac vice submissions.

To make matters worse, it is not enough to just export to a .docx file and be done with it. USPTO has promulgated specific guidelines for the desired format. They also have published a specific .docx format with special coding inside. If you do not export in this specific format, you can break some of USPTO’s automations, which may cause a delay in processing your filing. That’s a bad look for your clients.

In other words, to remain in compliance, you must learn a new skill and keep up to date with formatting requirements. Neither of those are part of the job of a patent attorney.

We are solving that problem. Edge’s .docx export outputs your patent application in the USPTO-specific .docx file and in accordance with the USPTO-required formatting rules. We make sure to only export a file name that complies with USPTO regulations. (Yes, those exist!)

To export your file, just click the “Export” button on top of the table of contents of the body of your draft.

This is one of the many reasons that Edge stands above its competitors. Although some of them may support exporting a .docx file, you might have to reformat it into the USPTO format, adding extra time and complexity. With Edge, it just works.

Edge also supports special technical formatting. For example, Edge supports LaTeX in its editor for math functions. When you export to .docx, Edge automatically formats the math functions in the USPTO-prescribed formatting, even with the correct font, so that you do not have to do any extra work to prepare your application. We will be shipping several chemistry-specific features soon and those will comply with USPTO requirements as well.