AppColl Reviews

“Saves time with daily uspto updates

Pros

I love that it links up electronically with the USPTO every single day to update all our deadlines automatically. It's one less thing to worry about.

Cons

Nothing major comes to mind. I just wish it were a bit easier to customize things but honestly, that's probably more because I don't have much time to really dig in and master all the settings.

“Can't run my practice without it

Pros

I absolutely love AppColl. The fact that it is web-based means I can access it from anywhere without dealing with some old, clunky VPN system. It integrates with the USPTO website to automatically pull status updates for trademark matters and now you can also manually update patent matters from Private Pair once you upload your credentials. The best part is that I can customize tasks and set up automated emails for when specific events happen or tasks are created/closed. Simply put, this software lets me run my practice without any admin help because it automatically generates all my routine reminder letters/emails as well as the template ones that go out to clients. I also love the Invoice module for all my billing. I have been using this software for at least six years and it keeps getting better with every update.

Cons

Every now and then, I have run into bugs That said it happens less and less and they are always quick to fix any issues that come up.

“Amazing and flexible for all our IP needs

Pros

AppColl's support is amazing. Also I love how it validates data with the USPTO & Espacenet. The letter generation with valid data makes mistakes a thing of the past. It is also easy and quick to import and update large changes in the database. Plus it saves so much time by automatically generating and sending the IP Staff dockets at a set time. Tasks can be modified to fit the firm's practices. Honestly, the list of benefits is too long.

Cons

So far there has not been anything I have disliked. But I will say there is so much room for all kinds of activities.

“Customizable with endless possibilities

Pros

I appreciate how you can tweak almost any setting to fit what you need. If something is not customizable right out of the box, there's usually a workaround so you can still make the program work perfectly for your firm's workflow. Plus the training materials are super extensive and their support team is really responsive especially when I have something urgent.

Cons

For my own work, I wish there were more ready-made custom tasks for foreign patent and trademark work. But honestly it's given us a chance to build our own docketing protocols using AppColl's custom features so it's worked out.

“A solid, aligned docketing solution

Pros

It is a really solid, all-in-one software for automating USPTO docketing. One of its best features is how versatile it is at generating tasks and it can adapt to almost any workflow. Automating docketing is a huge deal for staying efficient with patents and it really nails it. It streamlines everything USPTO-related and seriously boosts productivity. The billing system is decent and it gets the job done reliably. Overall the system is simple and easy to use. Its not difficult so if you need to get up and running fast, this is a great tool to implement. All in all, it's a reliable and versatile choice for automating your docketing.

Cons

The accounting side could use some improvement especially in how flexible it is when our needs change.

“#1 for patent and trademark management

Pros

You can tell this was built by patent attorneys who actually know what a law firm needs. The modules are outstanding, they organize all our data and let us filter and run reports on pretty much any field. There are tons of options for setting up automatic emails, both internally and to clients. I also love the Tandem feature which lets our clients or other stakeholders see into their docket. And I really appreciate that it keeps updating and adding more features to make our work easier.

Cons

I wish there was a manual that listed all the database queries so I could tweak them for my own reports. That said whenever I email support, they just give me the exact wording I need so it gets sorted.

“Simple but sometimes a bit slow

Pros

It's simple and interactive. Customer support is responsive though sometimes it takes a little back-and-forth to fully resolve an issue.

Cons

It can feel a little clunky sometimes, there's often a delay of a second or more after you click something before it happens. That delay seems to get worse in the afternoons.

“Has everything I could ever need

Pros

I get auto-docketing, IDS management, totally customizable reports, one-click downloads to spreadsheets or Word docs� it's got everything I need.

Cons

I can't think of a single thing I'd change. Great job by the AppColl team.

“Infinitely configurable & the perfect foundation

Pros

It is an integrated solution for patent docketing and billing that's better than anything else I've seen. It's infinitely configurable, not only automates task generation but is also easy to adjust to our firm's needs. And the tech support is second to none, they usually handle my questions the same day. I've personally built two patent docketing systems because what was out there just wasn't good enough. AppColl is flexible but still easy to use. I'll never need to look for another solution.

Cons

Honestly I can't think of anything. it is the perfect foundation for any patent practice.

“The most used docketing solution

Pros

Every team's workflow is a little different and it is super configurable. The customer support team is really responsive and works closely with the developers. When I started using it seven years ago, they actually implemented some of my feature requests. Over the years, the product has kept improving and now has almost every feature I can think of. The training and help resources are abundant and accurate, way better than most SaaS tools. In the patent practitioners' circles I'm in, it is by far the most used docketing solution. One feature everyone mentions is how it tracks prior art citations across applications and families and automatically generates IDS forms.

Cons

Advanced customization can be tricky if you're not super technical. The interface is not the most beautiful and some buttons or functions aren't totally clear until you learn them. My advice, take advantage of the training and online resources.

“Reliability over modern looks

Pros

It is the most interactive and easy-to-use IP software I've used in over 20 years. The web interface is perfectly organized (and even somewhat customizable). The search feature is powerful and finds records accurately even from incomplete info. There are so many automation features that make creating forms and documents a snap and it auto-dockets from Patent Center records. Besides docketing, time keeping and invoicing are simple. I haven't used the IDS module or document management system yet but it's nice to know they are available.

Cons

The interface is not modern-looking but I'll take reliability and functionality over good looks any day.

“decent webinar for beginners

Pros

I liked the webinar overview but I think some parts could have been explained a bit better.

Cons

I don't know yet sorry. I'm just starting to learn the application.

“User-friendly and great for billing

Pros

I love that it makes billing for multiple matters on the same bill so easy! It's also really user-friendly which makes it simple to show new employees how to use it.

Cons

I can not think of anything I dislike about it. I think it's a great product that really helps our company.

“An affordable, scalable secret weapon

Pros

It's affordable and scales with you. I've worked at a huge company for over a decade and have seen every tool under the sun. it does everything those expensive tools do. It lets me compete without the big law firm overhead, more care, more profit. It's like my secret weapon.

Cons

It doesn't do everything yet. I'd love better file integration with something like Google Drive or another cloud service. File syncing in it is pretty rough so I'd recommend using another service for serious file syncing and collaboration.

“timer lacks flexibility

Pros

It is cloud-based so I can log in and use it from anywhere I have internet. Super convenient.

Cons

The timer function is bad and just doesn't work right. It only measures in tenths of an hour instead of tracking actual minutes and converting later. Even worse, pausing the timer forces rounding to the nearest tenth of an hour which can randomly add or subtract up to 6 minutes. If you pause and restart a lot, it might average out in the long run but for any single matter, your time could be way off. You could seriously overbill or underbill a client using this timer. If you need accurate time tracking for billing, I'd avoid the AppColl timer altogether.

“Fast support and full data access

Pros

My data in it belongs to me. I can download it and work with it in all sorts of useful ways. Plus, I can import data directly from the USPTO which saves so much time and avoids manual entry errors. The billing system is very easy to use and creates invoices in PDF or formats I can upload into client billing systems. And their customer support usually responds the same day, often within minutes.

Cons

I don't have much to say here. There were a few billing reports I had to work hard to get by writing my own database queries but that was because of a client's unusual request, not really AppColl's fault.

“Consistent, creative and supportive tool

Pros

I like that the 7 main modules all have a similar layout and functionality so once you learn one, you pretty much know them all. I also love being able to customize default tasks and create custom ones so nothing falls through the cracks. But one of the best things is the customer support and they're extremely prompt and thorough. Once I needed a filter that was not possible and their support actually figured out an Excel formula to make it work. They really use creative problem-solving to help. Plus, they're always adding new features based on our feedback.

Cons

There's nothing I dislike about it.. My only note is that the invoice module is the least interactive part. Still, once I took the time to learn it, it became easy to use.

“Top-notch on the essentials

Pros

I get auto-docketing for US actions, USPTO form autofill, form letters and a solid billing module. It covers the essentials very well.

Cons

Nothing comes to mind. It's top-notch.

“a key tool for firm growth

Pros

I've been using it since 2014, back when my firm outgrew our homemade docketing system. Since then, it's become a key tool for helping us grow efficiently. One of the best features is the automatic import of USPTO data through XML files. It saves time but maybe more importantly, it acts as a quality control check, AppColl flags any discrepancies between USPTO data and our internal docket. I've caught spelling mistakes on filing receipts thanks to that. Over the years, I've customized AppColl tasks to automate as much as possible. Now reporting a filing receipt is just a few clicks and the client gets an auto-generated email with the receipt attached.

Cons

there's nothing I really dislike about it. Sure, there have been a few bugs here and there but the team has always been responsive and fixed them as soon as we report them.

“Perfect for any ip law firm

Pros

The whole platform is just perfect for an IP law firm. AppColl's task module and email notifications are amazing. I love their invoicing module and we use it for all our client invoices. Their customer support is fantastic, honestly some of the most responsive people I've ever worked with. I'd highly recommend it over any other platform I've used.

Cons

Nothing, I love this platform!!!