EFS-Web is the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO’s) web-based patent application and document submission system. I have been filing all my documents electronically since the USPTO started beta testing electronic filing (and I am shocked to see that some law firms still do not use electronic filing).
All documents filed via EFS-Web must be pdfs with embedded fonts, or image-based. This requires a pdf writer. According to the USPTO, versions of commercial PDF Writer software that work with EFS-Web include:
• Adobe Acrobat Professional
• ABXPDF Writer (Freeware)
• Open Office (Freeware)
• Easy Office (Adware)
• Cute PDF (Freeware)
• PDF Redirect (Freeware)
• PDF 995 (Adware)
• Primo PDF (Freeware)
I have been using PDF-Xchange Pro, which is not on the list. It has worked perfectly for writing pdf files, and is significantly faster than Adobe Acrobat. However, it does not work with USPTO fillable forms (EFS Forms, Other Forms) forcing me to continue using Adobe Acrobat.
Please email me (elliot at patentauthority.com) if you have found non-Adobe software that includes a pdf writer and is compatible with USPTO forms.
Links: EFS-Web Help, EFS Forms, Other USPTO Forms.
