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Abstract

The present invention provides a system, apparatus, and method for annuity processing. In some embodiments, an annuity processing module is used in conjunction with an internet-based patent- and trademark-application management system. This annuity-processing module reflects a software implementation of various business rules or methods associated with paying the annuity due on a patent. These rules are, in some embodiments, derived from various laws relating to the payment of annuities. In some embodiments, these rules are provided to a workflow engine via a DTD or XML schema. The workflow engine manages the execution of the various business rules and states associated with this execution. These rules, including the decision to make a payment, can be manually executed or automatically executed by a member of an organization implementing the annuity payment module as a part of a larger system. This larger application could, in some embodiments, be an internet-based patent- and trademark-application management system.

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First Claim