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Brunei has joined Madrid Protocol.
Brunei deposited its instrument of accession today, October 6, 2016.
The Protocol will enter into force for the purposes of Brunei on January 6, 2017.
This brings the number of members of the Madrid system to 98.
The two-letter code for Brunei is BN.
Cambodia deposited its instrument of accession to the PCT on September 8, 2016. This event brings the number of PCT members to 151.
The Treaty will enter into force on December 8, 2016.
The two-letter code for Cambodia is KH.
We’ve become aware of a new trick that Examiners at the USPTO use to force an a
pplicant to file an RCE. I hesitated for a while to blog about this, fearing that this blog article would educate any Examiners that did not already know about this trick. But hopefully the powers-that-be at the USPTO will read this blog article and will take appropriate steps to block the trick. And anyway maybe the word had gotten around the Examining Corps about this trick some time ago, and maybe there aren’t any Examiners that don’t already knew about this trick.
Last April I blogged about the unreasonable delays due to backlogs for interview appointments at Global Entry interview centers. Back then, at San Francisco airport, the backlog was five months. Back then, at Portland (Oregon) airport, the backlog was four months. At Denver airport, there was simply no appointment available no matter how long you were willing to wait. The backlog was essentially infinite.
How are things now, in October of 2016? At San Francisco airport, the backlog has worsened to six months. At Portland airport, the backlog has worsened to seven months. And at Denver airport, the backlog is still infinite. No appointments are available there. I checked Los Angeles International airport – the backlog there is six months. Boston Logan Airport has a backlog of nine months.
The folks in charge of Global Entry need to staff their interview locations appropriately to reduce the backlog.
Oppedahl Patent Law Firm LLC’s office is located not far from the hiking trail from which I took this photograph today. The aspen trees are at peak autumn colors this weekend. (Click on the photograph to see it full size.)
The search fee for ISA/JP will increase today for US PCT filers. For a US PCT filer whose PCT application is filed in English, the search fee was previously $1378. Starting today, it will be $1530.