Monthly Minute | Design Patents
Under the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) modernization efforts, the time between paying the issue fee and issuance of the patent is being reduced. Faster patent issuance gives patent applicants less time...more
On 19 January 2025 the USPTO enacted a new Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) size fee. A new IDS size fee, codified under 37 C.F.R. 1.17(v), is accrued for any pending application when the number of cumulative references...more
The advice to practitioners faced with marginally relevant prior art has long been "when in doubt, cite it." There was a small cost for the applicant (or practitioner) to cite such art by filing an information disclosure...more
In a notice published in the Federal Register (85 Fed. Reg. 58038) on September 17th, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced that it was implementing a deferred-fee provisional patent application pilot program in...more
On May 24, 2018, Apple was awarded a verdict of $533 million for Samsung’s infringement of three Apple design patents. While unsuccessful ex parte reexaminations (EPRs) were filed against two of those three design patents,...more
Pre-AIA and Post-AIA Issues Presented by the On-Sale Bar - The “on-sale” bar to patentability refers to a sale or offer for sale of an invention that can invalidate the patent for that invention. The...more
The United States and Australia each offer the option of filing a provisional patent application before filing a national or PCT non-provisional patent application. The U.S. provisional patent system and the Australian...more
As you may know, the America Invents Act (AIA) has introduced several changes to U.S. patent law. On March 16, 2013, the AIA moves the U.S. from a First-to-Invent system to a First-to-File system. This and other provisions...more