U.S. SUPREME COURT ISSUES SIGNIFICANT DECISION REGARDING AUTHORITY OF THE USPTO DIRECTOR IN AIA TRIAL PROCEEDINGS July 26, 2021
TRADEMARK OFFICE ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO TRADEMARK FEES December 11, 2020
» On December 15, 2020, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that there would be a delay in the adjustment of trademark fees for applications filed under the Madrid Protocol. The new fees for filing Madrid Protocol Applications will go into effect on February 18, 2021 instead of January 2, 2021. According to the USPTO, the delay is necessary because “the treaty requires three months advance notice to WIPO, which then alerts international applicants, before an increase in the amount of the international application/subsequent designation fee can enter into force.”
OCTOBER 2, 2020 USPTO FEE INCREASES August 19, 2020
UPDATES TO REVISED TRADEMARK EXAMINATION GUIDE 1-20 February 26, 2020
U.S. SUPREME COURT ISSUES TWO SIGNIFICANT DECISIONS REGARDING AIA TRIAL PROCEEDINGS May 25, 2018
TRADEMARK POST REGISTRATION AUDIT AND SPECIMEN PROTEST PROGRAMS April 20, 2018
FEDERAL CIRCUIT RULES PTAB TIME-BAR DETERMINATIONS FOR INTER PARTES REVIEWS ARE APPEALABLE January 31, 2018
SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN THE LANHAM ACT’S DISPARAGEMENT CLAUSE July 11, 2017
UNANIMOUS SUPREME COURT RESTRICTS PATENT VENUE RULES FOR DOMESTIC CORPORATIONS June 27, 2017
U.S. SUPREME COURT ELIMINATES LACHES DEFENSE IN PATENT INFRINGEMENT CASES April 7, 2017
SUPREME COURT RESHAPES DESIGN PATENT INFRINGEMENT DAMAGES December 21, 2016
TRADEMARK OFFICE ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO TRADEMARK FEES November 29, 2016
USPTO IMPLEMENTS POST-PROSECUTION PILOT PROGRAM (P3) July 14, 2016
U.S. SUPREME COURT RELAXES STANDARD FOR ASSESSING LIABILITY FOR ENHANCED PATENT DAMAGES June 17, 2016
NEW FEDERAL RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE AFFECT PLEADING REQUIREMENTS, CASE MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES AND DISCOVERY December 18, 2015
USPTO ISSUES FINAL RULES IMPLEMENTING THE HAGUE AGREEMENT May 11, 2015
In First Review, Federal Circuit Affirms IPR Invalidity Decision February 11, 2015
SUPREME COURT ESTABLISHES A NEW STANDARD OF REVIEW FOR CLAIM CONSTRUCTION February 4, 2015
Reduction of U.S. Government Fees for Trademark Applications and Renewals December 19, 2014
Supreme Court Articulates New Standard For Assessing Indefiniteness Of Post-Issuance Claims June 19, 2014
New USPTO Glossary Pilot Program For Software And Business Method-Related Patent Applications June 16, 2014
Supreme Court Overturns Federal Circuit En Banc Decision Recognizing Multiple Actor Infringement Of Method Claims June 12, 2014
Fourth Circuit Takes New Approach To Appellate Review Of District Court USPTO Appeals March 21, 2014
Sharply Divided En Banc Federal Circuit Reaffirms Application Of A De Novo Standard Of Review For Claim Construction March 17, 2014
Federal Circuit Holds That “Time Consumed In Continued Examination” Ends At Allowance For PTA Determinations January 30, 2014
New Two-Month Shortened Statutory Period For Reply To Restriction/Election Of Species Requirements January 23, 2014
USPTO Issues Final Rules Implementing The Patent Law Treaty November 7, 2013
Patent Issue, Publication And Assignment Recordation Fees Decrease Effective January 1, 2014 October 7, 2013
U.S. Supreme Court Addresses Patent Eligibility Of Isolated DNA Under 35 U.S.C. §101 June 20, 2013
USITC Amends Discovery Rules June 5, 2013
Trademark Clearinghouse Mitigates Some Effects Of New Top-Level Domains, With Limitations May 24, 2013
New USPTO “After-Final-Rejection” Pilot Program May 17, 2013
Excerpt for "New USPTO “After-Final-Rejection” Pilot Program"
USPTO Issues Final AIA First-Inventor-To-File Rules And Guidance February 19, 2013
USPTO Patent Fees Change Effective March 19, 2013 January 18, 2013
U.S. Congress Corrects Aspects Of The AIA January 2, 2013
United States Implements Treaties Facilitating Design And Utility Patent Filings January 2, 2013
District Courts Expand Patent Term Extensions, November 20, 2012
» The AIA corrections eliminate the ability to file a civil action to correct Patent Term Adjustment unless reconsideration by the USPTO has been requested.
» On December 31, 2012, the USPTO filed an appeal of the Exelixis decision.
» On January 28, 2013, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia issued a decision in conflict with the previously-reported Exelixis decision. That decision has also been appealed, and the appeal will be consolidated with the pending Exelixis appeal.
Planning For March 16, 2013 U.S. First-Inventor-To-File Changes, October 31, 2012
USPTO Publishes Final Rules For Derivation Proceedings Under America Invents Act, October 19, 2012
USPTO Proposes AIA-Based Patent Fee Changes, September 14, 2012
Federal Circuit Changes The Law Of Infringement Involving Multiple Actors, September 14, 2012
USPTO Fee Increases, September 6, 2012
USPTO Revises Patent Term Adjustment Rules, August 30, 2012
Recent Opinion Highlights Differences In Standards For Appeal Of TTAB Decisions, August 30, 2012
The USPTO Issues Final Rules Implementing Inter Partes Review And Post-Grant Review, August 27, 2012
Update Regarding USPTO Inventor Declarations In New And Continuing Applications, August 27, 2012
USPTO Issues Final Rules To Implement AIA Amendments To 35 U.S.C. §115 And §118, August 17, 2012
USPTO Issues Final Rules For Supplemental Patent Examination And Raises The Fee For Ex Parte Reexamination, August 17, 2012
USPTO Issues Final Rules for Third-party Preissuance Submissions in Patent Applications, July 24, 2012
USPTO Issues Interim Guidelines Regarding “Laws Of Nature” Patent Eligibility Issues, July 12, 2012
USPTO Issues Proposed Patent Fee Schedule For October 1, 2012, May 14, 2012
USPTO Pilot Program Allows Consideration Of IDS After Payment Of Issue Fee Without RCE, May 14, 2012
» The QPIDS pilot program has been extended to December 15, 2012.
U.S. Supreme Court Again Addresses Scope Of Patentable Subject Matter Under 35 U.S.C. §101, April 6, 2012
Expanded Availability Of Translations Of Patent Publications For Submission With Information Disclosure Statements, April 6, 2012
District Court Again Finds Inequitable Conduct In The Therasense Case, April 6, 2012
USPTO Issues Proposed Patent Fee Schedule, February 9, 2012
» i USPTO Transmittal Letter to PPAC
» iv Table of Patent Fee Changes
»v Aggregate Revenue Calculations
USPTO Proposes Rules For Supplemental Patent Examination And Increased Fee For Ex Parte Reexamination, January 30, 2012
Expansion And Expiration Of Accelerated Patent Examination Programs, December 21, 2011
USPTO Emphasizes Importance Of Office Action Submissions, And RevisesIDS Patent Term Adjustment Accordingly, December 21, 2011
New Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program Between United States And China, December 5, 2011
Updated Inventor Declarations, November 28, 2011
Updated Analysis Of America Invents Act (AIA) Updated November 22, 2011
Update: Micro Entity Discount Not Yet Available, September 29, 2011
Opportunity For Trademark Owners To Block Use Of Their Marks As .XXX Domain Names, September 14, 2011
Federal Circuit Addresses Patent Eligibility Of Isolated DNA And Related Diagnostic Methods, August 3, 2011
» The Federal Circuit’s Myriad decision was vacated and remanded to the Federal Circuit for further consideration in view of the Supreme Court’s Mayo decision.
» In an August 16, 2012 Decision on remand, the Federal Circuit maintained its prior positions essentially as outlined in our Special Report.
» On November 30, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the Federal Circuit decision as to the isolated DNA product claims.
Expansion Of The U.S. Patent Prosecution Highway For Expediting Patent Examination, August 3, 2011
USPTO Fee Increases, July 1, 2011
U.S. Supreme Court Unanimously Confirms That Invalidity Can Only Be Proved In Court By Clear And Convincing Evidence, June 15, 2011
U.S. Supreme Court Holds That The Bayh-Dole Act Does Not Automatically Divest Inventors Of Their Rights In Federally Funded Inventions, June 15, 2011
The Federal Circuit Announces A More Stringent Standard For Proving Inequitable Conduct, June 6, 2011
» On July 21, 2011, the USPTO issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing to revise the materiality standard for the USPTO to define materiality in accordance with the standard announced in Therasense.
» It has been reported that the Therasense parties will not petition the U.S. Supreme Court for review of the decision.
Federal Circuit Approves Reissue Applications That Only Add Dependent Claims To An Issued Patent, April 29, 2011
New Prioritized Examination Procedure for U.S. Patent Applications (Track I), April 6, 2011
USPTO Announces Accommodations for Those Affected by the Recent Tragic Events in Japan, March 22, 2011
USPTO Issues New Examination Guidelines Addressing 35 U.S.C. §112, February 22, 2011
Imminent 15% USPTO Fee Increases, December 10, 2010
Fee Deferral Program for U.S. Nonprovisional Applications Claiming Priority to U.S. Provisional Applications, December 10, 2010
»This program has been extended, and will continue to be available until
December 31, 2013.
Expansion and Extension of the Green Technology Pilot Program, November 12, 2010
PTO Publishes Supplemental Examination Guidelines For Determining Obviousness, September 3, 2010
Patent Office Issues Interim Guidance On Patent-Eligibility For Process Claims, July 29, 2010
Expansion of Program to Expedite Examination of Patent Applications, June 25, 2010
USPTO Eliminates PPH Petition Fee, May 24, 2010
Classification Requirement Removed From the Green Technology Pilot Program, May 24, 2010
Change In Filing Periods And Grace Periods For U.S. Trademark Registrations Obtained Under The Madrid Protocol, March 30, 2010
USPTO Fee Increases, March 4, 2010
New PCT Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program, February 2, 2010
U.S. Duty Of Disclosure Is Clarified Regarding Materiality Of Patent Prosecution Statements, February 2, 2010
U.S. Patent Office Provides Reduced-Cost Interim Patent Term Adjustment Process, February 1, 2010
Federal Circuit Relaxes Requirements for Website-Based Trademark Specimens, January 22, 2010
Federal Circuit Modifies PTO’s Formula For Determining Patent Term Adjustment, January 22, 2010
New Patent Office Pilot Program To Allow Applicants To Expeditents Related To Green Technologies, December 15, 2009
New Patent Office Procedure To Allow Small Entity Applicants To Expedite Examination Of Applications, December 7, 2009
» On February 1, 2010, the USPTO extended the deadline for requesting participation in this program to June 30, 2010.
Customers May Be Able To Sue Patent Owners For Antitrust Damages In Cases Of Fraud On The USPTO, November 13, 2009
USPTO Rescinds Proposed Rules Limiting Continuing Applications And Claims,
October 9, 2009
The U.S. Duty of Disclosure As Applied To U.S. and Foreign Office Actions,
October 9, 2009
Exporting Products That Are Used In Patented Methods Does Not Infringe U.S. Method Claims, September 1, 2009
Cost-Saving Measures For After-Final Practice, June 19, 2009
Federal Circuit Resolves Construction Of Product-By-Process Claims For Infringement Determinations, May 29, 2009
Federal Circuit Issues “New Rules” Decision, March 20, 2009
» Federal Circuit Decision, March 20, 2009
Federal Circuit Holds in Bilski Case That Process Claims Must Comply With The “Machine-Or-Transformation” Test, November 7, 2008
» On June 1, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to review the Federal Circuit’s Decision.
New Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program Between United States And European Patent Offices, October 3, 2008
Revised USPTO Fee Increases, August 19, 2008
USPTO Fee Increases, June 24, 2008
Changes To Rules Of Practice In Ex Parte Patent Appeals, June 24, 2008
New Interview Program For Patent Applicants June 2, 2008
Updated Declarations And Powers Of Attorney, April 10, 2008
U.S. District Court Permanently Enjoins Implementation Of The U.S. PTO’s New Rules, April 1, 2008
Changes In The Requirement For Description Of The Mark In Trademark And Service Mark Applications, March 20, 2008
The Federal Circuit Holds That Signals Per Se Are Not Patentable Subject Matter, IN RE NUIJTEN, November 6, 2007 (UPDATED)
»On May 9, 2008, the applicant filed a petition requesting the Supreme Court to review the decisions of the Patent Office and the Federal Circuit holding that the claimed signal transmissions do not qualify as patent-eligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C. §101. The applicant does not have a right to be heard by the Supreme Court. Instead, review is discretionary with the Court.
»The applicant filed a petition for rehearingen banc in the Federal Circuit on November 1, 2007.
»In a decision dated February 11, 2008, the Federal Circuit denied the applicant’s petition for rehearing en banc. Judge Linn filed a dissenting opinion, in which Judges Newman and Rader joined.
»On October 6, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to review the Federal Circuit’s decision.
U.S. District Court Enjoins The Implementation Of The U.S. PTO’s New Rules, October 31, 2007
»Court Opinion, October 31, 2007
»Court Order, October 31, 2007
A Business Method Claim Involving Only Mental Processes Is Not Patentable Under 35 U.S.C. §101, October 22, 2007
» As noted in the Comisky Special Report, another case pending before the Federal Circuit relating to the scope of §101 subject matter eligibility for business methods is the PTO Board of Appeals’ non-precedential decision in In re Bilski. On February 15, 2008, the Federal Circuit on its own initiative issued an order granting an en banc hearing, and listing five questions to be addressed by the parties in supplemental briefs. The questions include, among others, what standard should govern in determining whether a process is patent-eligible subject matter under §101, when does a claim that contains both mental and physical steps create patent-eligible subject matter, and should the Federal Circuit’s State Street Bank v. Signature Financial Group and AT&T v. Excel Communications decisions be reconsidered and overruled in any respect?
PTO Publishes Examination Guidelines For Determining Obviousness In View Of KSR, October 10, 2007
Further USPTO Fee Increases, October 4. 2007
New Patent Prosecution Highway Program Between The U.S. And U.K. Patent Offices, September 12, 2007
The Federal Circuit Overhauls the Willful Infringement Standard for Enhanced Damages, IN RE Seagate Technology, LLC, August 31, 2007
Post-KSR Developments Regarding Obviousness, August 17, 2007
Electronic Exchange of Priority Documents, July 16, 2007
Supreme Court Holds in KSR Case that Expansive and Flexible Obviousness Analysis is Required, May 7, 2007
Post-Medimmune Developments Regarding Declaratory Judgment Jurisdiction, April 13, 2007
Important Forthcoming USPTO Rulemakings, April 13, 2007
Supreme Court Authorizes Licensee to Initiate Challenge to Licensed Patent While Remaining Protected by License, January 26, 2007
Electronic Exchange of Priority Documents, January 26, 2007
The Trademark Dilution Revision Act of 2006, December 6, 2006
Electronic Filing of PTO Priority Documents, December 6, 2006
Major Changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Increase the Emphasis on Discovery of Electronically Stored Information in U.S. Litigation, September 22, 2006
U.S. Patent Office Imposes Stricter Requirements For Petitions To Make Special And For Accelerated Examination, September 22, 2006
A New Alternative For Expedited Patent Examination, June 16, 2006
Supreme Court Changes the Standard for Permanent Injunctive Relief in Patent Cases, May 26, 2006
Search Fee and Excess Claims Fee Refunds, March 20, 2006
Electronic Filing of Patent Applications, December 21, 2005
USPTO Issues Notice Regarding New Procedure For Handling Preliminary Amendments Filed With New U.S. Patent Applications, November 17, 2005
USPTO Institutes New Procedure For Handling Preliminary Amendments Filed With New U.S. Patent Applications, September 23, 2005
Newly Enacted Revision To 35 U.S.C. §103(c) Excludes From An Obviousness Analysis Certain Prior Art Owned By Parties To A Joint Research Agreement, December 10, 2004
Patent Rule Changes to Support Implementation of the United States Patent and Trademark Office 21st Century Strategic Plan, October 7, 2004
En Banc Federal Circuit Rules Against The Drawing Of An Adverse Inference With Respect To Willful Infringement, October 7, 2004
USPTO Rule Changes Regarding Declarations, Powers of Attorney and Assignments, June 17, 2004
Functionality After Traffix, April 7, 2004
USPTO Issues Final Rules to Implement the Madrid Protocol for Multinational Trademark and Service Mark Registration, October 27, 2003
Are JPO Website Computer-Generated Translations “Readily Available”? Must They Be Submitted With Information Disclosure Statements?, April 1, 2003
United States Changes Trademark Rules To Implement Technical Corrections Act, January 8, 2003
Revisions to 35 U.S.C. 102(e) and Reexamination Laws, November 4, 2002
U.S. Adopts Madrid Protocol for Intl Trademark Registration, November 4, 2002
The Supreme Court’s Decision in Festo, June 20, 2002
Product Design Trade Dress Functionality Doctrine is Clarified, June 20, 2002
U.S. Patent Term Extension Law and Rules, February 11, 2002
Recent Developments In Prosecution History Estoppel, February 15, 2001
Final Rules Implementing Eighteen-Month Publication of Patent Applications, November 3, 2000
Final Rules Implementing the Patent Business Goals of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, October 27, 2000
The Intellectual Property And Communications Omnibus Reform Act Of 1999, November 29, 1999
Changes In U.S. Trademark Law – The Trademark Law Treaty Implementation Act And Other Legislation, September 20, 1999
The Eastern District of Virginia: Litigating in the Rocket Docket, January 1998
Privileged Communications and the Internet, December 1997
Recent Developments in U.S. Patent Law Relating to Process Claims, May 1996
Supreme Court Decision in the “Markman” Case, April 1996
Changes in U.S. Intellectual Property Law Under GATT, May 1995
Changes in U.S. Intellectual Property Law Uruguay Round Agreement Act, March 1995
