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
From the moment a new invention or technology is realized, the race to patent the invention has begun. Anyone can apply for a patent to protect their inventions, discoveries and technologies at the U.S. Patent and Trademark...more
USPTO Leadership - On April 13, Kathi Vidal was sworn in as the new Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Director Vidal offered...more
USPTO Launches New Patent Search Tool - In a press release issued earlier this year, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced the launch of a new Patent Public Search tool. The Office notes that the new patent...more
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently launched an online First Office Action Estimator, which provides an estimate when a patent application will receive a first Office action. Having an idea of when a patent...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
It is not uncommon for applicants to file related patent applications in the United States and in Japan. When the applications claim priority to a common patent application, or one of the applications claims priority to the...more
In general, the maximum term of protection for an invention in the U.S. under a utility patent is 20 years less than the period of patent pendency. This term begins to run on the day the patent issues and ends 20 years after...more
Innovation and Traditional Patent Process - When you develop an innovation, its potential patentability is typically unknown, thus making it difficult to determine whether it is worth the significant expense involved if...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
Track One Prioritized Examination - Track One examination allows an applicant to pay for prioritized examination and to receive a final disposition usually in less than one year (compared to two to four years for regular...more
The grant of a patent can be delayed by years due to backlogs at patent offices around the world. However, recognizing the urgent need to address climate change, certain patent offices have established programs to expedite...more
USPTO and INPI Establish PPH Pilot Program - On November 23, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and Brazil's National Institute for Industrial Property (INPI) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a...more
USPTO Extends Comment Period on Notice Regarding Preparation of Patent Applications - In January, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a notice in the Federal Register (78 Fed. Reg. 2960) requesting public...more