Once a final rejection has been entered in an application, there is no right to unrestricted further prosecution. However, to advance the goal of compact prosecution, the USPTO introduced a program in 2012 that outlined when...more
Time to grant is vitally important when generating a robust patent portfolio. While speed is critical for many start-ups, it often comes with a price. Track One examination requires payment of fees. And even the patent...more
Two Pilot Programs for Compact Prosecution – First Action Interview and After Final Consideration Pilot Programs -
Streamlining and accelerating patent prosecution are goals of both the USPTO and stakeholders. The USPTO has...more
With the implementation of the America Invents Act and the United States moving to a first-to-file regime, there is greater time pressure to file patent applications than ever before. When patent protection in ex-US...more
9/27/2019
/ Affidavits ,
America Invents Act ,
China ,
CNIPA ,
Declaration ,
First-to-File ,
Foreign Patent Applications ,
Global Patent Prosecution ,
Japan ,
Patent Examinations ,
Patents ,
Post-Filing Evidence ,
SIPO ,
Supplemental Evidence ,
United States ,
USPTO
At last count, there are 27 Global and IP5 Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) participants with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Since the PPH provides a no fee way to speed up the examination process for...more
5/14/2019
/ Administrative Procedure ,
Claim Amendments ,
Expedited Actions Process ,
Global Patent Prosecution ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Patent Examinations ,
Patent Prosecution ,
Patent Prosecution Highway ,
Patents ,
Prior Art ,
USPTO
USPTO’s New Guidance on Subject Matter Eligibility -
Few areas of patent law are as unsettled as subject matter eligibility. To improve clarity, consistency, and predictability, the USPTO recently published new guidance on...more
Both the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Japanese Patent Office (JPO) accept a third party observation regarding validity of a patent application. In February 2012, it was announced that third party observations could be...more
9/17/2018
/ Administrative Procedure ,
China ,
EU ,
European Patent Office ,
Foreign Patent Applications ,
Japan ,
Japan Patent Office ,
JPO ,
Patent Cooperation Treaty ,
Patent Examinations ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Prior Art ,
SIPO ,
Third-Party
Worldwide Patent Term Extension Provisions -
Mechanisms to recover patent term lost during regulatory approval are available in many countries throughout the world. The August 2017 issue of Sterne Kessler’s Global Patent...more
With the implementation of Revisions to the Chinese Patent Examination Guidelines on April 1, 2017, the April 2017 issue of Sterne Kessler's Global Patent Prosecution Newsletter includes information and practical tips for...more