Foreign Priority Applications

What You Need to Know about the USPTO’s Final Rules and Examination Guidelines for the First-to-File Provisions of the Leahy-Smith...

The USPTO’s final rules and examination guidelines for the first-to-file provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, which was issued on February 14, 2013, contain several provisions that require Applicant action or...more

Final Rules for Implementing the First-Inventor-to-File Provisions of the America Invents Act

The transition to the first-inventor-to-file (FITF) system occurs on March 16, 2013. To prepare for implementing the change to the FITF system, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), on February 14, 2013,...more

A First Look at the Final First Inventor to File Rules

The USPTO’s final First Inventor To File rules and Examination Guidelines were published in the February 14, 2013 edition of the Federal Register. While many of the final rules are identical to the proposed rules, there are...more