Frequently Used Terms (Terminology)

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AppColl sometime uses terminology that may not be the same as you are used to. Below is a list of important terms and how they are defined in AppColl.


 

Affiliated

A person is Affiliated with a matter if they are listed as the Matter Partner, Matter Attorney, Matter Contributor or Matter Paralegal. AppColl can generate reports based on matter affiliations.

Attorney Ref

This is your unique name associated with a matter. No two matters can have the same Attorney Ref. This value would normally be the same as the Attorney Docket No. on file with the USPTO.

Client Ref

This optional field is the client’s reference number.

Filing Date

The actual date that an application is filed. For PCT national phase filings, this is the national phase entry date.

Final Due Date

The final due date for a task that has extendable deadlines. For example, the final due date for a ‘Respond to Non-Final Office Action – 3 Month Deadline’ would be six months from the office action mail date.

Matter Attorney

The person primarily responsible for a matter.

Matter Contributor

A person contributing to the prosecution of a matter.

Matter Partner

The person overseeing the prosecution of a matter.

Official Filing Date

A PCT filing date. It should only be populated for National Phase applications claiming priority to a PCT. It should be blank for all matters other than National Phase application.

Priority Date

The earliest filing date based on a priority chain.

Ref Date

The date from which the Respond By and Final Due Dates are calculated. For example, the Ref Date for a ‘Respond to Non-Final Office Action – 3 Month Deadline’ would be the date the office action was mailed.

Respond By

The due date for a task before any extensions. For example, the Respond By date for a ‘Pay Issue Fee’ would be three months from the Notice of Allowance mail date.

Role

The designation that determines how a contact is used. For example, a contact with a Paralegal Role will be available in the Role drop down in the details page for a matter.

Task

A record that contains information about an item that has completed or something that someone needs to complete. This mostly includes docketing tasks, although it could refer to internal workflows or actions. A task can be an informational item, a prosecution history item from the USPTO, or an item that requires an action.

Task Owner

The person responsible for completing a Task. Only one person can be the owner of a Task. Within each matter, each task can have a different owner, and they may be different than the attorney responsible for the matter. For example, a paralegal may own certain tasks within a matter.