In simple English
This tool helps a small law office track patent and trademark deadlines. It reads official notices from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It calculates when responses are due based on federal rules and weekends. It prepares client emails and letters for each step of the process. It runs on a simple server and keeps all data in a single file.
What it is
Pendant is a self-hosted patent and trademark docketing system written in PHP and SQLite. It automates deadline calculation, USPTO notice parsing, and client communication for small IP practices.
What it is good for
Solo patent attorneys and small law firms who want to manage deadlines, client correspondence, and official correspondence without paying for expensive legal software.
- Calculates deadlines automatically using official USPTO rules and holidays.
- Drafts client emails and letters that wait for your approval before sending.
- Stores all information in a single SQLite file that is easy to back up.
- Requires server administration skills to install, configure, and maintain.
- Relies on external USPTO API keys and optional third-party services like Gmail and Dropbox.
- Provided as-is with no warranty, so you must verify all deadlines manually at first.
Expensive commercial legal docketing software or manual spreadsheets
Dropbox
tar xzf pendant-*.tar.gz && cd pendant-* ./install.sh ./run.sh