Monthly Minute | Design Patents
On March 8, the USPTO joined other intellectual property offices in celebrating International Women’s Day with a theme of “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.”...more
On February 15, 2024, the United States Copyright Office published a notice of proposed rulemaking, proposing to create a new group registration option for published two-dimensional artwork. Currently, the Copyright Office...more
If the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is going to implement fee changes in January 2025, we should see a Federal Register Notice detailing the proposed fees soon. The USPTO started this round of fee-setting in April...more
Your patent is finally filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (or the office of your local country). Then you remember your attorney saying something about patents being jurisdictional, whatever that means…....more
The Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has notified the Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC) of the USPTO's intent to restructure existing trademark fees and released its preliminary trademark fee...more
The USPTO has proposed several fee changes for implementation in 2025. If implemented, these changes will increase filing fees for Inter Partes Reviews (IPRs) and Post Grant Reviews (PGRs) by 25% “to improve cost recovery.”...more
The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO or PTO) recently announced proposed changes to certain fees it charges with respect to patent applications, design patents, and America Invents Act (AIA) trials. These...more
Recently, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced that they have completed a comprehensive patent fee review, concluding that fees must go up—some of them significantly. This is primarily due to the discounts provided...more
The US Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) announced proposed patent fee increases. Patent fees would increase by about 5% across the board because of inflation. Certain fees would be increased by substantially more than the...more
On April 20, the USPTO announced an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public input regarding potential PTAB reforms, including proposed changes to discretionary institution practices, petition word limits,...more
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has proposed a significant increase in patent fees, including the implementation of entirely new fees and revamped fee structures. The USPTO has indicated that the fee proposal is...more
Inventors prize their bound hardcopy patents for both sentimental reasons and because the hardcopy can be useful in negotiation. The USPTO only issues one original “Letters Patent.” If a patent is lost or destroyed, the best...more
On March 6, the USPTO announced a new Green Energy Category of its Patents for Humanity Program. Patents for Humanity is an awards competition that recognizes innovators who use technology to meet global humanitarian...more
After centuries of issuing paper patents to inventors, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will soon transition to only electronic issuance, with patent holders able to receive a printed “ceremonial” copy to display proudly...more
On December 22, 2022, the US Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) announced the fifth extension of the Modified COVID-19 Prioritized Examination Pilot Program. The pilot program had been set to terminate on December 31, 2022, and...more
Each year, IP Spotlight updates our readers who often ask: how long does it take for a patent or trademark registration to grant? In previous years, we’ve done that by reviewing the USPTO’s annual Performance and...more
On January 14, 2022, the PTAB issued a precedential opinion granting a request for rehearing of a denial of an IPR petition that had previously found a petition to be time-barred because the wire transfer had not been timely...more
USPTO Delays Fee for Failure to File Applications in DOCX Format - In a notice published in the Federal Register earlier today (86 Fed. Reg. 66192), the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced that it was delaying the...more
A June 25, 2021 decision by the PTAB has clarified that when paying the filing fee via wire transfer, the inter partes review (“IPR”) petition filing date is based upon when the funds are made available to the USPTO. ...more
USPTO Director Andrei Iancu and Deputy Director Laura Peter resigned from their respective posts prior to inauguration day. Commissioner for Patents Drew Hirschfeld and Senior Counsel Coke Morgan Stewart are temporarily...more
Small Entity Government Use License Exception (Effective date: January 20, 2021) - The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is amending the rules of practice in patent cases to clarify and expand exceptions...more
Effective January 2, 2021, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) is increasing and adding certain trademark and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) fees. The changes come after a nearly three-year fee...more
[co-author: Joseph Diorio, Law Clerk] The November 2020 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses a rare failure-to-function refusal reversal at the TTAB, Google's efforts to combat counterfeit goods,...more
The USPTO has published the final rule in the Federal Register establishing fee increases for electronic filings related to Trademark applications and proceedings. The changes, which go into effect on January 2, 2021, are...more
For the first time in nearly three years, the USPTO will be adjusting its fees for Trademark Registrations and for filing fees related to proceedings involving the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). Some fee increases...more