The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) introduced the Accelerated Examination program in 2006 to help applicants receive expedited examination of important patent applications. The USPTO is ending the Accelerated...more
This is the second article of the multi-part series discussing benefits of prosecuting patents under Patent Prosecution Highway or PPH. The first article can be accessed here. To recap, PPH is a set of initiatives promulgated...more
Patent Prosecution Highway or PPH is a set of initiatives promulgated by participating patent offices around the world to accelerate patent prosecution in countries of the participating patent offices. PPH allows the...more
The extensive amendments to the Patent Act and Patent Rules that came into force on October 30, 2019 have complicated the practice for responding to an Office Action (i.e. an “Examiner’s Report”) issued by the Canadian Patent...more
In recent years, with the increase in patent applications filed in China, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has focused on expediting patent examinations to decrease the duration of the normal...more
This article discusses foreign filing requirements in Europe—in particular, the United Kingdom and Germany. Assuming each is the country of invention, the following questions are explored for each jurisdiction: (1) who needs...more
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
Albania - 6 months - Novelty/Inventive Step in Limited Circumstances - Disclosure not to be taken into account in determining patentability if it occurred within six months before the filing date (priority date) when...more
The March 2017 inaugural issue of Sterne Kessler's Global Patent Prosecution Newsletter includes information and practical tips for accelerated examination strategies in the United States, Europe, and Asia. ...more