It’s been a while since I looked at the statistics of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to try to guess when the Board might get around to deciding an appeal. Here’s how it looks these days.
Continue reading “When will the Board decide my patent appeal?”
Tuesday, April 8, 2014 will be Design Day 2014. This is an all-day program, free of charge, at the USPTO in Alexandria, Virginia.
Design Day is a very special annual event, co-sponsored by the USPTO, the IP Section of the American Bar Association, the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), and the Industrial Designers Society of America.
Topics presented will include:
As we all know, USPTO has set up many initiatives in recent years to try to reduce the 
backlog of unexamined patent applications. Many practitioners are familiar with most of these initiatives. It seems, however, that very few patent practitioners are aware of an initiative announced recently by the USPTO. The initiative, called QDPP or “Quick Disposal Pilot Program”, will essentially instantly eliminate approximately two percent of the backlog, and should lead to some applications being allowed very quickly.
Continue reading “A little-known USPTO initiative to reduce the backlog”
In previous postings I have mentioned reasons why filers should use ePCT, WIPO’s system that lets you see the status and content of your pending PCT applications. Here are three more reasons.
Continue reading “Three more reasons why you should use ePCT”
The US and Europe do not agree on when to start and when to stop Daylight Saving Time. The US started DST on March 9, 2014, and Europe started DST today, March 30. This is important for US filers who file things at WIPO.
Continue reading “For those filing at WIPO, a time zone change”
USPTO has announced a Glossary Pilot Program to Promote Patent Claim Clarity. The program promises to push your patent application to the front of the line (make it “special”) if you provide a glossary in the detailed description portion of the specification, providing a definition of each important term used in the application. This Glossary Program is a fascinating concept and it provides yet another reminder that there are smart people inside of the USPTO who are willing to try all kinds of approaches in the hope that some of the approaches will turn out to help with our shared goals such as promoting science and the useful arts. Should you recommend this Glossary Program to your clients?
Continue reading “Should you use USPTO’s new Glossary Pilot Program?”
This coming Monday, March 24, I will be at the Kellogg Center of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, speaking at the 2014 Intellectual Property Law Spring Seminar sponsored by the The Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. My topic is “PCT Practice Tactics and Strategies”.
Continue reading “Hello Michigan intellectual property practitioners!”
USPTO is closed today, Monday, March 17 as a snow day.
Anything that you might have needed to file today to meet a USPTO due date may be postponed until tomorrow, Tuesday March 18. But there are some things to watch out for.
I never knew this, but it seems that it used to be a patent appellant could pay patent appeal fees by means of a general authorization to charge a Deposit Account.
Starting May 1, 2014, this will no longer be possible. The appellant that tries to rely upon a general authorization will fail and risks having the appeal dismissed.
Continue reading “USPTO tightens up fee payment options for patent appeals effective May 1, 2014”
Track I (also called “prioritized examination”, and not to be confused with Accelerated Examination) has been available since September of 2011, and permits a patent applicant to move to the front of the examination queue upon payment of an extra $4000 (smaller for small and micro entities). USPTO has relaxed the formal requirements for Track I as of March 5, 2014.
Importantly, the rule change is retroactive. If a filer screwed up a Track I request in the past and had it dismissed, the filer may be able to get the request granted now by filing a petition.
Continue reading “USPTO relaxes formal requirements for Track I (and does it retroactively)”
