Patent Applications, Inventions, First-to-File

First-to-File: A Game-Changer in US Patent Law

Ward and Smith, P.A. on 3/26/2025

The United States patent system underwent a significant change with the enactment of the First-Inventor-to-File (FITF) provision of the America Invents Act, which became effective on March 16, 2013. The FITF provision...more

SNIPR Tech. Ltd. v. Rockefeller Univ., No. 22-1260 (Fed. Cir. July 14, 2023)

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP on 10/9/2023

This case addresses certain implications of the Laehy-Smith America Invests Act (AIA), namely whether patents with a filing date after March 16, 2013 (pure AIA patents) may be part of an interference proceeding under pre-AIA,...more

Dear Patenticity: Still Inventing

Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC on 11/30/2021

Dear Patenticity, My company has several new product concepts under development right now, and some are very early in the design process. We are in a very competitive space, so we want to protect our work with patents to...more

PGR Eligibility: An Uphill Climb For Transition Patents

Jones Day on 9/1/2021

A patent is eligible for post-grant review (“PGR”) only if the patent is subject to the first-inventor-to-file provisions of the AIA. In Tricam Indus., Inc. v. Little Giant Ladder Sys., LLC, the PTAB explained that...more

Fact or fiction? Debunking patent myths for business and technology leaders.

Smart & Biggar on 8/27/2021

There are many misconceptions or ‘myths’ about patents that have found their way into popular discourse, ranging from what type of innovations are patentable, to how important it is to own and protect your intellectual...more

Five Patenting Lessons Exemplified by Google’s Glucose-Sensing Contact Lenses

Knobbe Martens on 1/21/2014

Google recently announced on its blog that its “Google-X” laboratory is testing a prototype “smart” contact lens that includes a miniaturized electronic sensor designed to measure glucose level in the wearer’stears. I...more

The First-to-File Patent System is Coming - Optimize Your System Now

Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A. on 2/11/2013

On March 16, 2013, the "first-to-file" provisions of the America Invents Act ("AIA"), will take effect, replacing the current first-to-invent system. Here we provide specific recommendations to optimize protection of your...more

Patent Applications › Inventions › First-to-File