Patent application redaction is the removal of personal data from a filing before sharing. Unpublished applications stay confidential under 37 CFR 1.14. anonym.plus does this on your own device, so the invention never leaves your office. The claims stay readable.
When this applies
An unpublished filing names the inventors, the agent, and the assignee. To share a draft for review, you must hide that personal data first.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the file (PDF, DOCX, or scan) in anonym.plus on your device.
- Local OCR reads scanned drawings and pages too.
- The tool flags inventor names, addresses, and agent details.
- Check the flags and keep technical terms that look like names.
- Swap each ID for a safe label, or black it out.
- Save the clean copy. The original never leaves your machine.
What you need to provide
- The file (PDF, DOCX, TXT, or image scan).
- An operator: Replace (swap), Redact (remove), or Mask (partial).
- Optional: a name map if you need to re-link drafts later.
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | Inventor Mei Lin → [INVENTOR] |
| Org | ORGANIZATION | Assignee Acme Labs → [ASSIGNEE] |
| Location | LOCATION | 14 Hauptstrasse → [ADDRESS] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | agent@example.com → [EMAIL] |
| IDs | US_SSN / NATIONAL_ID | national ID → [ID] |
| Reference | PATENT_NUMBER | App. 17/884213 → [APP_NO] |
Compliance achieved
- Keeps unpublished filings confidential under 37 CFR 1.14.
- Runs offline, so the invention never reaches a cloud server.
- Working files are kept safe with AES-256-GCM.
- Handles GDPR Recital 26 if EU inventors are named.
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Limitations & cautions
Inventor and assignee clues can hint at identity even after names go. A rare field plus a small firm can still narrow it down. OCR on scanned drawings can miss faint text, so review the flags before you export.
Frequently asked questions
Are unpublished applications confidential?
Yes. The USPTO keeps a pending, unpublished application confidential under 37 CFR 1.14. Local redaction keeps that draft inside your office, so no outside party sees the invention.
Does the tool upload my filing?
No. anonym.plus runs on your own device with no cloud step. The application stays on your machine the whole time.
Will the claims still read well after the swap?
Yes. The Replace operator drops a steady label in place of each ID. The technical claims and drawings stay word for word.