Method of creating electronic prosecution experience for patent applicant

A method of managing documents related to a plurality of patent applications, said method comprising:

• storing a first plurality of electronic documents associated with a first plurality of patent applications assigned to a first technology developer in a database accessible to a server system;
• storing a second plurality electronic documents associated with a second plurality of patent applications assigned to a second technology developer in a database accessible to said server system;
• assigning access rights to each one of a first plurality of client systems associated with said first technology developer and a second plurality of client system associated with said second technology developer, wherein said access rights allow said first plurality of client systems to perform selected operations on said first plurality of electronic documents and prevent said first plurality of client systems from viewing said second plurality of electronic documents and wherein said access rights allow said second plurality of client systems to perform selected operations on said second plurality of electronic documents and prevent said second plurality of client systems from viewing said first plurality of electronic documents;
• storing said assigned access rights in said database;
• enforcing said access rights with a document access management system executing on said server system;
• allowing selected client systems from said first and second plurality of client systems to create first and second pluralities of invention disclosures, respectively, that are stored in said database as part of said first and second plurality of electronic documents, respectively;
• allowing selected client systems from said first plurality of client systems to create a first plurality of patent applications from said first plurality of invention disclosures, allowing selected client systems from said second plurality of client systems to create a second plurality of patent applications from second plurality of invention disclosures;
• storing said first and second plurality of patent applications in said database;
• allowing selected client systems from said first plurality of client systems to generate a first signal indicating an intent to file one of said first plurality of patent applications in a first patent office and allowing selected clients systems from said second plurality of client systems to generate a second signal indicating an intent to file one of said second plurality of patent applications in a second patent office;
• and
• in response to said first signal, causing said first patent application to be filed in said first patent office and in response to said second signal, causing said second patent application to be filed in said second patent office.

A server system for managing intellectual property;

• said system comprising:
• a processor;
• a database having a first plurality of documents associated with a first patent application assigned to a first applicant and a second plurality of documents associated with a second patent application assigned to a second patent applicant different from said first patent applicant;
• a computer-readable memory for storing a computer program, wherein said processor is operative with said computer program to:
• control access rights to said first and second pluralities of documents by (i) allowing a first client system coupled to said server system over a public network and a second client system coupled to said server system over a public network to access documents in said first plurality of documents while prohibiting said first and second client systems from accessing documents in said second plurality of documents and (ii) allowing a third client system coupled to said server system through a public network and a fourth client system coupled to said server system through a public network to access documents in said second plurality of documents while prohibiting said third and fourth client systems from accessing documents in said first plurality of documents;
• and
• receive a first signal from either said first or second client system to file said first patent application in a patent office and receive a second signal from either said third or fourth client system to file said second patent application in a patent office;
• wherein said first client system is associated with said first patent applicant, said second client system is associated with a first law firm that represents said first patent applicant, said third client system is associated with said second patent applicant and said fourth client system is associated with a second law firm that represents said second patent applicant.