March 2016 – Page 2 – Ant-Like Persistence

March 13, 2016

Status of PPH backlog in Office of Patent Petitions

I’ve blogged here and here and here about the sorry state of the backlog of PPH pet pph-grants itions in the Office of Patent Petitions (OPP). OPP is just now getting around to deciding PPH petitions filed last August. Here are actual figures for forty-nine PPH petitions filed last August.

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March 12, 2016

How long a trademark Request to Divide takes?

If you are an active trademark practitioner before the USPTO, the E-Trademarks listserv is a good place to hang out. Here is a question that a listserv member posted to the discussion group:

Does anybody have an idea of how long it takes to process a request to divide? That last one I filed took about 2 days, but that was some time ago. I am currently waiting on one I filed over three weeks ago. Does anybody know the standard timeline these days?

How long do you suppose it takes for the Trademark Office to act upon a Request to Divide?

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March 6, 2016

Trump files three more trademark applications for “Make America Great Again”

Last summer I blogged here and here about Donald Trump’s first US trademark application for “Make America Great Again”. That one registered in July of 2015 (US trademark registration number 4773272).

Now Mr. Trump has filed three more trademark applications for the same mark:

US application number 86716074 – opposition period closes March 17, 2016
US application number 86724213 – opposition period closes March 17, 2016
US application number 86724115 – opposition period closes March 24, 2016

March 3, 2016

USPTO’s Design Day 2016 will sell out

As I mentioned here yesterday, registration opened yesterday for USPTO’s Design Day 2016 which will take place on Tuesday, April 19, 2016.

The event opened with 350 seats available. As of right now, 150 seats are taken. There are only 200 seats left. It’s likely the event will sell out well before April 19.

One of the industry speakers at this event will be Brian Kelleghan, president of Bison Designs in Longmont, Colorado. Bison Designs is a leading designer and manufacturer of accessories including carabiners and bottle openers. Brian’s company was obtaining and making use of design patents long before recent events made it fashionable to get design patents. Attendees at this event will get to see striking, even astonishing examples of patented designs and will get to hear from Brian about ways that design patents have benefited his company.

Design day offers a unique opportunity for practitioners and members of industry alike to learn from USPTO people, from experienced practitioners, and from people like Brian. Don’t miss it!

To register, click on the link above.

March 2, 2016

Register now for Design Day 2016 at the USPTO

Registration is now open for Design Day 2016 at the USPTO. This will be Tuesday, April 19, 2016 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It will be at the USPTO in Alexandria, Virginia. The agenda includes:

Developments at the USPTO including training of new design patent examiners, and the new ID5 initiative
Updates on U.S. implementation of the Hague system from WIPO’s perspective
Best practice tips and pitfalls of design patent prosecution from a panel of experienced practitioners and USPTO examiners
Learn from industry leaders about how to take a design from concept to patenting to enforcement
Updates and changes to the MPEP and the effect on design practice
Important design patent decisions over the past year, as summarized in the popular case law wrap-up

To register, click here.