Why You Should Use The USPTO's Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has launched a new Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form that allows practitioners to submit an online request for an interview with an examiner. The online form allows applicants to request an interview at any time without calling the examiner over the phone and leaving a message, which is a common practice now. The form also is intended to be used instead of the older Applicant Initiated Interview Request Form, which is a separate form and is no longer recommended by the USPTO.

The AIR program allows applicants to request interviews with examiners quickly and easily, no matter where an examiner is located or what hours he or she works. This new approach to interview requests is part of a larger push by the USPTO to encourage more interviews and more contact between examiners and applicants. By making an interview request as easy as performing a few clicks, the USPTO hopes to lower the barrier to interviews. To use the