The following article and video outlines the steps for creating foreign annuity payment tasks. Please note: The exact dates used are not to be taken as law. Rather, they are used strictly to show how the process would work. It is up to the user to verify the actual due dates for tasks.
Managing foreign annuity payments can be complex because they often require recurring deadlines that extend for the life of the patent. AppColl allows you to automate this process by creating a task type that not only triggers the initial payment deadline but also automatically generates the subsequent year's deadline once the current payment is marked complete.
The following steps use an Australian application as an example, where the annuity is due 12 months after the filing date and every 12 months thereafter.
Step 1: Create the Task Type and Initial Triggers
- To begin, hover over Tasks and select Manage Task Types. Please note: You must be an administrator to access this section.
- Click the Add button to create a new task type.
- Enter a Type Name. In this case, enter “Pay Australian Annuity.”
- Select the Default Owner (typically the Attorney for matter).
- Select the Deadline Type.
- Click the Add button under Trigger Events.
- Set the Triggers. For the initial deadline, you want the task to generate when the filing date is entered for an Australian matter. Select “When a specific field in any matter changes” for the Event Type.
- Select “FilingDate” from the Field options.
- Click the Ok button.
- Next, add a limitation. Click the Add button under Trigger Events.
- Select “While a specific field in the matter contains a specific value” from the Event Type options.
- Select “CountryCode” from the Field options.
- Enter AU in the contains field.
- Click the Ok button.
Optional: You may also wish to exclude specific matter types, such as Trademarks, if necessary.
Step 2: Set the Initial Deadline
Next, define when the first payment is due.
- In the Response Date section, set the date calculation. For this example, select Use the matter filing date.
- In the Offset By field, enter “12” for plus 12 months.
- Click Apply Changes button to save the basic task structure.
At this stage, if you enter a filing date on an Australian matter, AppColl will generate a single task due in one year. However, it will not yet generate the recurring payment for the following year.
Step 3: Configure the Recurring Logic
To ensure the task regenerates annually, you must add a secondary trigger and deadline using the "Or If Later" logic.
- In the Response Date section, select “Or, if later.”
- Add an additional Trigger Event by clicking the Add button.
- Select “When a specific task completes with a given state” for the Event Type.
Important Note: Do not use "When a specific task completes" without specifying the state. If you do not specify the state, marking a task as "Not Needed" (for example, if a case is abandoned) would still trigger a new annuity task for the next year. By selecting Completes with a given state -> Completed, you ensure the next task is only created if the payment was actually made.
- Select “Pay Australian Annuity” for the Task Type. Ensure that the state is set to “Completed.”
- Select the Add ‘When’ condition OR'd with previous events checkbox.
- Click the Ok button.
Step 4: Set the Recurring Deadline
Finally, tell AppColl how to calculate the date for the subsequent tasks.
- Under the Respond By section, look for the Or If Later options. Select Use the triggering task respond-by date.
- Enter “12” in the Offset By field.
- Click the Save button.
This logic tells the system: “When the current year's annuity task is marked as Completed, create a new task due 12 months after the previous task's due date.”
Summary
By utilizing the Or If Later function and linking the trigger to the completion of the previous task, you create a continuous loop. Every time you complete an annuity payment, AppColl immediately schedules the next one, ensuring you never miss a recurring deadline.