News & Analysis as of

Patents Prior Art Patent Examinations

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Sterne Kessler’s Reissue, Reexamination, and Supplemental Examination Practice Tips – November/December 2024

In the mid-2000s, the U.S. Patent Office (USPTO) determined that reexaminations would be more consistent and legally correct if performed by a centralized set of experienced and specially trained Examiners. As a result, the...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP

Federal Circuit Overrules Obviousness Test for Design Patents

In its first en banc patent decision since 2018, the Federal Circuit overruled the longstanding obviousness test for design patents under 35 U.S.C. 103. LKQ Corp. v. GM Global Tech. Operations LLC, No. 21‑2348 slip op. (Fed....more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Strategies for Successful Patent Owner Reexamination Requests

Takeaways: - Patent owner requested reexaminations are not an admission of claim unpatentability. - Patent owners can and should control the reexamination request narrative. Patent owners must consider the pros and...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Fixing Unintentional Duty of Disclosure and Candor Issues Through Supplemental Examination

A significant procedure for patent owners, Supplemental Examination, was established in the 2012 America Invents Act when Congress determined there should be a proceeding to turn events that in the past could lead to...more

McDermott Will & Emery

New PTO Guidance: Use KSR Flexible Approach to Obviousness

On February 27, 2024, the US Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) published updated guidance for examiners on how to make a proper determination of obviousness. The guidance expands upon and reinforces the legal framework for...more

Womble Bond Dickinson

New USPTO Obviousness Guidelines Seek to Refine Examiner Evaluations Likely Making Path to Patent Grant More Difficult and...

Womble Bond Dickinson on

On February 27, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) released new guidance aimed at enhancing the methodology used to assess the obviousness of patent applications. The updated USPTO guidance emphasizes the...more

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

Silly § 102 Tricks

With further apologies to David Letterman - Almost two years ago we published Stupid § 101 Tricks, an article discussing some of the annoying, improper, and yet disappointingly common patterns seen in rejection and...more

Goodwin

Issue 37: PTAB Trial Tracker

Goodwin on

Expert Testimony Alone Insufficient to Show Examiner's Material Error in Considering Prior Art - In Nespresso USA, Inc. v. K-fee System GmbH, IPR2021-01222, Paper 9, at 25 (PTAB Jan. 18, 2022), the Board denied...more

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

A Few Things that USPTO Could Do to Simplify Patent Prosecution

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office handles hundreds of thousands of patent applications per year, as well as various types of administrative patent proceedings.  While the USPTO has made incremental improvements in its...more

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

USPTO News Briefs

Updated First Office Action Estimator Tool Now Available - In a Patent Alert email distributed earlier today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced that an updated First Office Action Estimator online tool is now...more

Morgan Lewis

USPTO Introduces Pilot Program to Defer Response to Subject Matter Eligibility Rejections

Morgan Lewis on

The US Patent and Trademark Office is implementing a pilot program to allow participating applicants to defer responding to subject matter eligibility rejections until the earlier of a final disposition of the application, or...more

Mintz - Intellectual Property Viewpoints

The USPTO’s Patent Classification and Search Systems Have Jumped on the AI Bandwagon

It is no question that Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) technologies have popped up in all aspects of society such as online shopping, music streaming, and social networking. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) has...more

Kilpatrick

Senators Push for USPTO Pilot Program Requiring Sequenced Approach to Patent Examination and Full Examination of the Grounds of...

Kilpatrick on

As previously reported on March 12, 2021, bipartisan members of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property sent a letter to the USPTO’s Commissioner for Patents “regarding the state of patent...more

Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck, P.C.

Tips for Reviewing (or Drafting) Patent Claims

For emerging companies, a patent application should combine legal skill with technical and business knowledge to produce a document that will serve as a foundation to the company’s valuation and future profitability....more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Global Patent Prosecution - November 2020: The USPTO's First Action Interview Pilot Program

Time to grant is vitally important when generating a robust patent portfolio. While speed is critical for many start-ups, it often comes with a price. Track One examination requires payment of fees. And even the patent...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Global Patent Prosecution - November 2020

Two Pilot Programs for Compact Prosecution – First Action Interview and After Final Consideration Pilot Programs - Streamlining and accelerating patent prosecution are goals of both the USPTO and stakeholders. The USPTO has...more

Jones Day

PTAB Issues Guidance With Regard to AAPA

Jones Day on

On August 18, 2020, the USPTO issued guidance regarding the reliance on Applicant Admitted prior art (AAPA).  Under 35 U.S.C. § 311(b), IPRs may be instituted only “on the basis of prior art consisting of patents or printed...more

Womble Bond Dickinson

Don’t Miss USPTO’s Lapsing Collaborative Search Option

Womble Bond Dickinson on

Recently, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office provided an additional tool for patent applicants to use in pursuit of foreign patent protection. In 2015, the USPTO partnered with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, or...more

Goodwin

Issue Twenty-Seven: PTAB Trial Tracker

Goodwin on

The availability of post-grant proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) has changed the face of patent litigation. This monthly digest is designed to keep you up-to-date by highlighting interesting PTAB,...more

Jones Day

PRECEDENTIAL: IPRs and Examination have Different Standards for Establishing a Printed Publication

Jones Day on

As was previously noted, the PTAB recently designated one decision as precedential and four as informative concerning the necessary showing for proving up a reference as printed publication prior art. Here is an in depth...more

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

USPTO Designates Three Decisions Concerning Discretion to Deny Inter Partes Review Under 35 U.S.C. § 325(d)

On March 24, the USPTO issued two precedential decisions and one informative decision that clarify the circumstances under which the PTAB will utilize its discretion to deny IPR institution under 35 U.S.C. § 325(d). This...more

Jones Day

Same or Similar Art Mutes IPR Petition on Medical Device Patent

Jones Day on

35 U.S.C. § 325(d) gives the PTAB discretion to deny a petition for inter partes review when the same or substantially the same prior art or arguments were previously before the Office – including during original examination,...more

Womble Bond Dickinson

Using Old Tech to Get New Tech Patent

Womble Bond Dickinson on

Your company just invested to get an application on Track One prioritized examination. Now what? The Track One prioritized program does not guarantee an applicant to get an allowance — only a final disposition that can be a...more

Knobbe Martens

Federal Circuit Review - November 2019

Knobbe Martens on

The Appointments Clause: Ensuring That PTAB Decisions Are Subject to Constitutional Checks and Balances  In Arthrex, Inc. v. Smith & Nephew, Inc., Appeal No. 18-2251, the Federal Circuit ruled that, under the then-existing...more

Williams Mullen

PTAB Designates as Informative Two Ex Parte Decisions Regarding Examiners’ Use of “Design Choice” Rationale in Support of...

Williams Mullen on

On October 15, 2019, the PTAB designated as informative two decisions providing insight into when it is an appropriate for an examiner to reply upon a so-called “design choice” rationale in support of an obviousness...more

64 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 3

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide