Hello PCT enthusiasts! Who would like to participate in a day of Patent Cooperation Treaty (and ePCT) training? It will take place this coming Tuesday, October 28, in the Detroit patent office. I am one of the faculty members for this training. For more information, or to register, click here.
PCT training in Dallas this Friday
Hello PCT enthusiasts! Who would like to participate in a day of Patent Cooperation Treaty (and ePCT) training? It will take place this coming Friday, October 24, in the Dallas patent office. I am one of the faculty members for this training. For more information, or to register, click here.
Why outgoing correspondence from the Patent Office is so slow
(Note: this blog article is the first in a series of articles that will describe recent changes within the USPTO that have big effects upon applicants and upon people within the USPTO.)
For decades it has been the case that when a primary Examiner submits a piece of outgoing correspondence, the applicant would receive it soon after — typically within a couple of days. But within recent months, it has been commonplace to see long delays before the applicant receives the outgoing correspondence. How bad are the delays, and what is the cause of the delays? Continue reading “Why outgoing correspondence from the Patent Office is so slow”
USPTO fixes a bug in Patent Center
Users of Patent Center are familiar with the Patent Center Tickets web site. It lists bugs in Patent Center, and it lists Patent Center feature requests, and it has a special section entitled Good things about Patent Center. I am delighted to report that the USPTO has fixed one of the bugs in Patent Center! Continue reading “USPTO fixes a bug in Patent Center”
Every USPTO system relating to assignments is broken today
Every USPTO system relating to assignments is broken today.
Continue reading “Every USPTO system relating to assignments is broken today”
And a reception after the Dallas PCT seminar
What could be more fun than a full day of PCT training? The answer, of course, is a full day of PCT training followed by a reception. Continue reading “And a reception after the Dallas PCT seminar”
Four upcoming opportunities for PCT and ePCT training
As a reminder, folks, there are four upcoming opportunities for PCT and ePCT training, all of which will include me as a presenter.
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- National Docketing Association annual meeting, San Diego (brochure page):
- Monday, October 6, 3:15 PM PT – Making Best Use of ePCT for PCT Docketing (75 minutes)
- Tuesday, October 7, 1PM PT – Mastering PCT Docketing (60 minutes)
- Friday, October 24, Dallas Patent Office (brochure page) – Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and ePCT seminar (full day)
- Tuesday, October 28, Detroit Patent Office (brochure page) – Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and ePCT seminar (full day)
- National Docketing Association annual meeting, San Diego (brochure page):
Reduction In Force at the USPTO
An article just now in The Guardian says:
In a memo seen by the Guardian, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a “reduction in force” (RIF) program of layoffs at the agency on Wednesday, the first reported agency to do so.
“Approximately one percent of the USPTO workforce will be affected by this RIF,” wrote Valencia Martin Wallace, acting commissioner for the USPTO, wrote to employees at the agency. The USPTO did not respond to a request for comment
USPTO blinks on shutdown of familiar assignment searches
(Update: every USPTO system relating to assignments is now broken on October 16, 2025, see blog article.)
On August 27, 2025, the USPTO said (quoted at right) that Saturday, September 27, 2025 was the day that the USPTO would shut down the two familiar assignment search systems, forcing users over to a new assignment search function in Assignment Center.
It appears the USPTO has blinked and will postpone this shutdown for about three weeks, until Monday, October 20, 2025. Continue reading “USPTO blinks on shutdown of familiar assignment searches”
A “reminders” document that might help with 101 problems
On August 4, 2025, the USPTO’s Deputy Commissioner for Patents (Charles Kim) published a document entitled Reminders on evaluating subject matter eligibility of claims under 35 U.S.C. 101 which you may see here (archived here). I think the document may be of some help for applicants facing 101 rejections. Continue reading “A “reminders” document that might help with 101 problems”