What is soft scanning in the context of patent examination?
Soft scanning in the context of patent examination refers to the process of digitizing physical documents into electronic format for inclusion in the image file wrapper. This process is crucial for maintaining accurate and accessible digital records of all patent-related documents.
The MPEP 707.12 mentions soft scanning: Access to the examiner’s action is given electronically or copies are mailed after the original […] has been soft scanned into the image file wrapper.
This indicates that soft scanning is a key step in the USPTO’s document management process, ensuring that all examiner actions are digitally preserved before being made available to applicants.
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