United States and Swedish Patent Offices to Cooperate on International Search and Examination Services (17Sep2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at September 24, 2007 09:52 PM
United States and Swedish Patent Offices to Cooperate on International Search and Examination Services (17Sep2007)
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Brigid Quinn or Ruth Nyblod
(571) 272-8400 or
brigid.quinn@uspto.gov or ruth.nyblod@uspto.gov
United States and Swedish Patent Offices to Cooperate on International Search and Examination Services
Trial project part of USPTO efforts to reduce U.S. national patent application backlogs
The Commerce Department’s U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Swedish Patent and Registration Office (PRV) announced today that they have begun a pilot project to test the feasibility of the PRV performing search and examination services for the USPTO on international applications filed with the USPTO under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
The pilot is part of ongoing USPTO efforts to bring down the growing backlog of U.S. national patent applications waiting to be examined.
Each year, the USPTO receives over 50,000 PCT international applications in addition to over 400,000 national applications. The USPTO is testing whether, by having international applications processed elsewhere, it can dedicate more resources to examining the approximately 750,000 national applications currently in the pipeline, with the goal of increasing productivity and enhancing quality.
Under the terms of the pilot project, the PRV will process 50 PCT Chapter I applications covering a range of technologies. The USPTO will review the PRV’s work to ensure that it meets USPTO standards for quality and accuracy.
“We look forward to working with our Swedish colleagues to achieve our mutual goals of expediting review of patent applications while maintaining high quality examination” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Jon Dudas. “Taking advantage of work completed by another office allows the USPTO to focus more of its resources on decreasing the time it now takes between the filing of an application and a final examiner decision.”
“The PRV is a competent PCT Authority since the start of the PCT system in 1978 and we have a long experience of patent search and examination” said Lars Björklund, acting Director General of the PRV. “We look forward to cooperating with the USPTO and thereby also taking responsibility to support and maintain the functionality of the PCT system.”
The PCT is an international agreement that simplifies the filing of patent applications in its 135 member states. A PCT application may be used as a national application for a patent in any of the designated PCT countries. International applicants request PCT search and examination reports to help them determine if an application meets basic patent criteria before committing to the high cost of translating and filing an application in one or more PCT countries. The USPTO and the PRV are among the national patent offices authorized to conduct PCT searches and examinations.
USPTO and United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office to Pilot Patent Prosecution Highway (04Sep2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at September 9, 2007 04:18 PM
USPTO and United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office to Pilot Patent Prosecution Highway (04Sep2007)
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Brigid Quinn or Ruth Nyblod
(571) 272-8400 or
brigid.quinn@uspto.gov or ruth.nyblod@uspto.gov
USPTO and United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office to Pilot Patent Prosecution Highway
Fast-track examination trial program will enhance quality and efficiency
The Commerce Department's U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) today announced that they are now accepting applications for participation in a pilot Patent Prosecution Highway project established between the two offices. The Patent Prosecution Highway will leverage fast-track patent examination in both offices to allow applicants in both countries to obtain corresponding patents faster and more efficiently. It also will permit each office to benefit from work previously done by the other office, in turn reducing examination workload and improving patent quality.
"Patent offices worldwide must increase the depth and effectiveness of their cooperation. Our collective goal is to reduce duplication of work, speed up processing, and improve quality," said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Jon Dudas. "This pilot project with the UK IPO builds on our work with the Japan Patent Office, and contributes to a more rational international patent system."
"The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office builds on a similar pilot scheme with the Japan Patent Office which is already showing great promise," said Chief Executive of the UK Intellectual Property Office Ian Fletcher. "The UK Intellectual Property Office has high standards in efficiency and quality as reflected in our ISO 9001:2000 accreditation, and the PPH agreement with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will make a contribution to raising these standards further. I am especially pleased that the improved efficiency and quality expected to arise from this PPH agreement is a direct result of the strong relations that exist between the UK Intellectual Property Office and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The PPH helps both offices in their goal of stimulating and rewarding invention and innovation and is a further step towards a global patent prosecution highway network," Fletcher continued.
Under the Patent Prosecution Highway, an applicant receiving a ruling from either the UK IPO or the USPTO that at least one claim in an application is patentable may request that the other office fast track the examination of corresponding claims in corresponding applications. Full requirements for participation in the trial program at the USPTO can be found at www.uspto.gov/web/patents/pph/pph_ukipo.html.
The purpose of the trial program is to gauge the interest of applicants and determine if the program improves quality and efficiency and reduces the workload at the USPTO and the UK IPO. The trial period is set to expire September 4, 2008, but may be extended for up to one year or terminated earlier depending on volume of activity and other factors. Both offices will provide notice of any adjustment in the trial period.
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Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office [signed 30 August] [PDF] (04Sep2007)
Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office [signed 30 August] [PDF] (04Sep2007)
View comments at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/pph_ukipo.pdf
Claims and Continuations Final Rules to Publish in Late Summer (25Jul2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at July 28, 2007 04:14 PM
Claims and Continuations Final Rules to Publish in Late Summer (25Jul2007)
On July 9, 2007, OMB concluded its review of the Continuations and Claims rule changes. The final rules will be made public when they are published in the Federal Register, which is expected to be later this summer. The rules will become effective at least 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, and no earlier than October 1, 2007.
The abstracts of the rules currently available on the Federal Regulatory Information Web site (http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoViewRule?ruleID=273406 and http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoViewRule?ruleID=273407) reflect the abstracts of the Continuations and Claims notices of proposed rule-making that were published in January, 2006.
Draft KSR Training Guidelines Under OMB Review (20Jul2007)
Draft KSR Training Guidelines Under OMB Review (20Jul2007)
The USPTO has sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review draft final guidance for use by patent examiners in determining if an invention is obvious in view of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in KSR v Teleflex.
The USPTO will post the final guidance document on its website after OMB concludes its review. In the interim, the agency will begin training for examiners on implementation of KSR.
Comments Regarding the International Effort to Harmonize the Substantive Requirements of Patent Laws (11Jul2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at July 17, 2007 10:41 PM
Comments Regarding the International Effort to Harmonize the Substantive Requirements of Patent Laws (11Jul2007)
View comments at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/harmonization/index.html
Addition of Japan Patent Office as Participating Foreign Intellectual Property Office in Electronic Exchange of Priority Documents [signed 10 July 2007] [PDF] (10Jul2007)
Addition of Japan Patent Office as Participating Foreign Intellectual Property Office in Electronic Exchange of Priority Documents [signed 10 July 2007] [PDF] (10Jul2007)
View and/or download a PDF of this notice at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/jpo_pdx.pdf
Patent Cooperation Treaty Update [signed 28 June 2007] [PDF] (09Jul2007)
Patent Cooperation Treaty Update [signed 28 June 2007] [PDF] (09Jul2007)
View and/or download a PDF of this notice at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/pctfeeupdate07.pdf
Extension of the Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between the USPTO and the JPO(28Jun2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at July 4, 2007 12:55 PM
Extension of the Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between the USPTO and the JPO(28Jun2007)
View and/or download a PDF of this notice at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/pphextension.pdf
USPTO to Test Impact of Public Input on Improving Patent Quality in the Computer Technologies (07Jun2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at June 10, 2007 08:17 PM
MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact:
Brigid Quinn or
Ruth Nyblod
(571) 272-8400 or
brigid.quinn@uspto.gov
ruth.nyblod@uspto.govJune 07, 2007
#07-21
USPTO to Test Impact of Public Input on Improving Patent Quality in the Computer Technologies
Peer Review Pilot is Part of Agency Efforts to Promote Quality as Shared ResponsibilityThe Department of Commerce's U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today released details of a pilot project that could help expedite and improve the examination process in computer technologies. The Peer Review Pilot will give technical experts in computer technology, for the first time, the opportunity to submit annotated technical references relevant to the claims of a published patent application before an examiner reviews it.
"Studies have shown that when our patent examiners have the best data in front of them, they make the correct decision," said Jon Dudas, director of the USPTO. "Examiners, however, have a limited amount of time to find and properly consider the most relevant information. This is particularly true in the software-related technologies where code is not easily accessible and is often not dated or well documented."
The pilot is a joint initiative with the Community Patent Review Project (CPRP), organized by the New York Law School 's Institute for Information and Policy. The pilot will begin on June 15, 2007 and will run for one year.
Technical experts in the computer arts registering with the CPRP website will review and submit information for up to 250 published patent applications. To ensure a broad cross section of computer technology is reviewed, no more than 15 applications will be allowed from any one person or organization.
Existing law allows USPTO to accept prior art from the public, but it doesn't allow the public to submit any commentary related to the art without the approval of the applicant. Thus, consent will be obtained from all applicants whose applications are volunteered and selected for this pilot.
To expedite review of applications used in the pilot, they will be assigned to an examiner as soon as a submission is received from the CPRP. This will shorten the time it normally takes in the computer arts from filing an application to a final decision. Only one submission from the CPRP of up to 10 annotated references will be accepted for each application in the pilot.
This pilot is just one facet of USPTO's broader efforts to find new ways to get the best information in front of examiners before they make a final decision on a patent application. To ensure a vibrant, modern patent system, USPTO also supports implementation of "applicant quality submissions" which would include search and support documents from applicants.
USPTO supports expanding the ability of third parties to submit to the USPTO information they believe is pertinent to a pending application, a concept included in patent modernization legislation now under consideration in the U.S. Congress. In combination, the peer review pilot, applicant quality submissions and expanded third party submissions encourage a highly participatory examination process that will lead to more efficient and effective review of patent applications.
For more information on the peer review pilot go to < http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/peerreviewpilot.pdf > [PDF]
###
Pilot Concerning Public Submission of Peer Reviewed Prior Art [signed 04 June 2007] [PDF] (06Jun2007)
Pilot Concerning Public Submission of Peer Reviewed Prior Art [signed 04 June 2007] [PDF] (06Jun2007)
View and/or download a PDF of this notice at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/peerreviewpilot.pdf
Simplification of the Electronic Exchange of Priority Documents [signed 04 June 2007] [PDF] (06Jun2007)
Simplification of the Electronic Exchange of Priority Documents [signed 04 June 2007] [PDF] (06Jun2007)
View and/or download a PDF of this notice at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/pdxsimplified.pdf
United States Patent and Trademark Office Notification of Spring 2007 Business Methods Partnership Meeting (08May2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at May 8, 2007 10:28 AM
United States Patent and Trademark Office Notification of Spring 2007 Business Methods Partnership Meeting (08May2007)
As part of the March 2000 business method action plan, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announces the 2007 Business Methods Partnership Meeting to be hosted by the director and managers of the Business Methods workgroup. Members of the public are invited to attend the Partnership Meeting. The Partnership Meeting is an opportunity for an informal discussion on topics such as current interpretations of subject matter eligibility under 35 USC 101, issues surrounding tax strategy patents, classification and application assignment including the class 705 reclassification project, and other topics specific to business methods. While public attendees will have the opportunity to provide their individual input, group consensus advice will not be sought.
DATES AND LOCATION: The Partnership Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 19, 2007, from 1:00 P.M.-5:00 P.M. at the USPTO MADISON AUDITORIUM (SOUTH), Concourse Level, Madison Building, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22313.
Requests for Attendance at the Partnership Meeting: Requests for attendance will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis according to the time and date of receipt of each request. In order to ensure a broad cross-section of attendees, the USPTO reserves the right to limit the number of attendees from any single organization or law firm. Therefore, organizations and law firms must designate their official representatives. Individuals will be notified of accepted requests for attendance by the USPTO no later than one week prior to the date of the meeting. Non-accepted requesters will also be notified by the USPTO. No one will be permitted to attend without an accepted request.
Requests for attendance at the Partnership Meeting should be submitted to the attention of Jeff Smith via facsimile at (571) 273-6763, or by electronic mail through the Internet to jeff.smith4@uspto.gov. Requests for attendance must include the attendee's name, affiliation, title, mailing address, and telephone number. Facsimile number and Internet mail address, if available, should also be provided. Requests must be received by June 5, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Jeff Smith by telephone at (571) 272-6763 (in addition to the facsimile number and e-mail address given above).
USPTOâs EFS-Web Electronic Patent Filing System Celebrates Successful First Year (02May2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at May 2, 2007 12:13 PM
USPTO's EFS-Web Electronic Patent Filing System Celebrates Successful First Year
Today More than Half of All New Patent Applications Filed Through EFS-Web
The Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced today that EFS-Web, its Web-based filing system for patent applications, has exceeded the goals set forth for its first year. Most notably, for the first time in USPTO’s history, more new patent applications are being filed electronically each week than through the traditional paper application process. In addition, more than 700,000 applications and related documents have been filed using EFS-Web to date.
These milestones were celebrated today in a ceremony at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, where Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Jon Dudas also recognized the patent system users and USPTO staff who made EFS-Web’s first year a success. Special guest speakers included representatives from EFS-Web users Motorola and the law firm of Fish & Richardson, as well as independent inventor Michael Gurin. (See below for a full list of law firms, corporations and individuals who helped make EFS-Web’s first year a success.)
“EFS-Web has exceeded our expectations for its first year, and is a great step forward in making IP protection easier and more efficient, while improving patent quality,” said Under Secretary Dudas. “As corporations, law firms and inventors alike discover the many benefits of filing patent applications electronically, we expect the adoption rate to grow dramatically.”
Jonathan Meyer, SVP for Motorola, said, “We have found using EFS-Web has helped us to greatly streamline the patent process, saving us both time and money. We appreciate that the USPTO sought our input, and the input of other patent filers, as they were creating EFS-Web. The result is a system that truly meets our needs.”
Rolf Hille, Director of Practice Systems for Fish & Richardson, said, “As we continue to shift toward a paperless operation, the availability of EFS-Web has greatly helped us in accelerating that transition. In doing so, we are able to be more efficient and accurate in our day-to-day operations and in our efforts to secure patents for our clients.”
Inventor Michael Gurin, President of CogniTek Management Systems, added, “As an independent inventor in the rapidly changing worlds of alternative energy and nanotechnology, I have found that EFS-Web has become an important part of how I do business. In fact, I’ve filed more than a dozen patent applications using EFS-Web in the last year alone.”
The shift from a paper-based system to an electronic environment offers several advantages for patent filers. Patent system users can file applications and related documents virtually anytime and anywhere. Filers may use their existing software, and may submit documents by simply attaching PDF files. EFS-Web offers additional practical flexibility to the intellectual property community by allowing staff to file documents prepared and reviewed by patent attorneys. Filers may also pay filing fees over the Internet.
EFS-Web submissions are automatically processed through the USPTO. Patent filers receive rapid access to their applications through the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system, so they can view their submissions online and confirm that documents have been securely and accurately received. EFS-Web also offers visual proof that patent applications and documents have been received in the form of an automatic electronic receipt.
Developed with extensive input from the intellectual property community, EFS-Web launched on March 16, 2006, as a simple, safe, and secure way to file patents online. More than 80 corporations, law firms and independent inventors participated in the EFS-Web pilot program. Prior to deployment, nearly 200 pilot participants attended EFS-Web onsite and Web-based trainings.
Electronic Exchange of Priority Documents [signed 23 April 2007]
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at April 25, 2007 09:55 AM
Electronic Exchange of Priority Documents [signed 23 April 2007]
View and/or download a PDF of this notice at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/eepd.pdf
Nanotechnology Customer Partnership Meeting May 3, 2007 (09APR2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at April 10, 2007 09:18 AM
Nanotechnology Customer Partnership Meeting May 3, 2007
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Alexandria, Virginia 22313
South Auditorium, Madison Building
This Nanotechnology Customer Partnership initiative is designed and developed to be a forum to share ideas, experiences, and insights between individual users and the USPTO. The USPTO does not intend to use these customer partnership groups to arrive at a group consensus. Individual opinions are sought from varying participants, and the meetings are intended to be informal in nature. These customer partnership groups are formed with full recognition of the USPTO's responsibility under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), and are not established as FACA compliant committees.
We value our customers and the feedback provided from individual participants is important in our efforts to continuously improve the quality of our products and services. Your willing participation in this informal process is helpful in providing us with new insights and perspectives.
DATE AND LOCATION : This meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 3, 2007, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, in the South Auditorium, Madison Building, Concourse Level, located at 600 Dulany Street, in Alexandria, Virginia.
Requests for Attendance at the Partnership Meeting
Due to space limitations, please RSVP by e-mail to jill.warden@uspto.gov or by telephone to Jill Warden at (571) 272-1267 to confirm your attendance. If it becomes necessary to restrict the number of attendees, we will do so on a first come-first served basis.
Interim Procedures For Implementing The April 1, 2007, Changes To The Regulations Under The Patent Cooperation Treaty And Status Of Proposed Fee Changes [signed 30 March 2007]
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at March 31, 2007 09:50 AM
Interim Procedures For Implementing The April 1, 2007, Changes To The Regulations Under The Patent Cooperation Treaty And Status Of Proposed Fee Changes [signed 30 March 2007]
View and/or download a PDF of this notice at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/pct_interim_procedures.pdf
Examination of Patent Applications Containing Nucleotide Sequences [signed 22 February 2007] (12Mar2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at March 12, 2007 01:51 PM
Examination of Patent Applications Containing Nucleotide Sequences
[signed 22 February 2007] (12Mar2007)
View and/or download a PDF of this notice at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/sequence02212007.pdf
United States and Australia to Extend Cooperation on Patent Search and Examination Services (07Feb2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at February 7, 2007 07:00 PM
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Brigid Quinn or Ruth Nyblod
(571) 272-8400 or
brigid.quinn@uspto.gov
ruth.nyblod@uspto.gov
United States and Australia to Extend Cooperation on Patent Search and Examination Services
On January 24, 2007, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and IP Australia agreed to extend a project under which IP Australia provides search and examination services on international patent applications filed with the USPTO under provisions of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
This agreement is a continuation of the project launched between the two offices in 2005, and is scheduled to begin on March 1, 2007 and run 12 months.
Cooperation on PCT search and examination work is part of the USPTO's ongoing efforts to improve examination efficiency and quality, while reducing the growing backlog of U.S. national patent applications waiting to be examined. USPTO found that the quality and accuracy of the work done by IP Australia during phase one warrants extending the project and increasing the number of applications it processes.
In this phase of the project, IP Australia will process up to 1,200 PCT applications over the course of one year, covering a range of technologies. The USPTO will continue to review IP Australia's work to ensure that it meets USPTO standards for quality and accuracy.
"High quality and timely examination of patent applications advances science and technology and creates the certainty innovators need in capital driven markets," noted Jon Dudas, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. "A growing backlog is detrimental to U.S. innovation and the economy. This project builds on the long history of cooperation between the USPTO and IP Australia and gives us the ability to open another front in our battle to reduce our growing backlog."
IP Australia's Director General, Ian Heath explained why IP Australia was pleased to sign up to a new phase of the project, " Participation in this project is a significant opportunity for IP Australia to move closer to its vision of being an office of choice and for enhancing its international reputation. It represents a further step towards achieving the goal of reducing re-work between offices and making mutual exploitation of work a reality for the ultimate benefit of Australian innovators and the IP system as a whole. "
Each year, the USPTO receives about 50,000 international PCT applications in addition to nearly 450,000 national applications. Cooperation with IP Australia will allow the USPTO to dedicate more resources to examining the over 800,000 national applications currently in the pipeline, with the goal of increasing productivity and enhancing quality.
The PCT is an international agreement that simplifies the filing of patent applications in its 135 member states. A PCT application may be used as a national application for a patent in any of the designated PCT countries. International applicants request PCT search and examination reports to help them determine if an application meets basic patent criteria before committing to the high cost of translating and filing an application in one or more PCT countries. The USPTO and IP Australia are among the national patent offices authorized to conduct PCT searches and examinations.
Federal Circuit Proposes Requiring Digital Briefs
Posted by Stephen M. Nipper at February 2, 2007 04:40 PM
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit proposes to amend its rules by adopting Federal Circuit Rules 28(a)(15) and (16), Rule 28(j), Rule 30(k), and Rules 31(b), (e), and (f); and by deleting Federal Circuit Rule 32(e). These rule changes would require the filing of a digital version of every brief and appendix filed by a party represented by counsel, unless counsel certifies that submission of a brief or appendix in digital format is not practical or would constitute hardship…
More information: http://www.fedcir.gov/rule_28_jan_22_2007.pdf
Change in Procedure for Handling Nonprovisional Applications Having Omitted Items (30Jan2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at January 30, 2007 10:14 AM
Change in Procedure for Handling Nonprovisional Applications Having Omitted Items
[signed 29 January 2007]
[30 January 2007]
View and/or download a PDF of this notice at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/omitteditems.pdf
USPTO Announces New Key Member to Management Team (23Jan2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at January 24, 2007 12:38 PM
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Brigid Quinn or Ruth Nyblod
(571) 272-8400 or
brigid.quinn@uspto.gov
ruth.nyblod@uspto.gov
#07-05
USPTO Announces New Key Member to Management Team
John Love Named Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property Jon W. Dudas has named John J. Love deputy commissioner for patent examination policy for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Love most recently served as the acting deputy commissioner for patent examination policy.
As deputy commissioner, Love is responsible for changes in patent practice, rules of practice and procedures, examining priorities, and classification of technological arts. He leads the operations of the Patent Legal Administration, Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Legal Administration, the Office of Petitions, and International Liaison.
"John Love is an important member of USPTO's senior management team," noted Under Secretary Dudas. "With his many years of service and dedication to the patent system, I know he will make major contributions by providing the legal and practical guidance necessary to ensure high-quality, efficient patent examination."
"John's extensive patent practice and policy experience, wealth of legal knowledge, and proven leadership abilities make him an invaluable asset to the patent team. His rapport with the patent examining corps, managers and the public will help us expertly meet the many challenges of the coming years ," said Commissioner for Patents John Doll.
Love joined the USPTO in 1969 and has served the agency in a variety of leadership positions, including director of the technology center with responsibility for examining business method patents and computer related inventions. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 1988.
Love received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Detroit. He earned a juris doctor degree from Georgetown University, and is a member of the Virginia State Bar.
USPTO Statement on Ceasing Annual Top 10 Patents Holders List (22Jan2007)
USPTO Statement on Ceasing Annual Top 10 Patents Holders List
Beginning this year, the USPTO will no longer release an annual list of top 10 organizations receiving the most U.S. patents. The 2006 data will be available in April in the annual “Patenting by Organizations” report on the agency's web site (www.uspto.gov). This report profiles U.S. patents granted to U.S. and international organizations receiving 40 or more patents each year.
In ceasing publication of the top 10 list, the USPTO is emphasizing quality over quantity by discouraging any perception that we believe more is better.
For the past four years USPTO has focused on the quality of the patents it issues. We are now seeing the results of those efforts. Last year patent quality was the best in over 20 years, and the agency also had the lowest rate of patents approved in more than 30 years.
Over the past four years the USPTO has implemented numerous programs to enhance the quality of patent examination. These include:
• rigorous in-process and end-process reviews of examiners' work and written certification and recertification examinations to ensure examiners remain up-to-speed on patent law, practice and procedure.
• increasing the number of “second-pair-of-eyes” reviews of initial decisions to grant patents.
• implementing eight-month university-style training programs to teach patent examination coursework to new examiners in a collegial and collaborative environment.
• establishing a unit of patent examiners solely devoted to reexamining patents for which evidence raising a substantial new question of patentability is found after the patent is granted.
• improving the quality of USPTO work life to attract the best pool of new patent examiners by offering opportunities to work from home.
• implementing electronic processing of patent applications to make the patent examination process more efficient and effective.
Brigid Quinn
Spokesperson, USPTO
Deputy Director of Public Affairs
USPTO Begins New Electronic Priority Document Exchange Program (19 January 2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at January 20, 2007 02:51 PM
USPTO Begins New Electronic Priority Document Exchange Program
(19 January 2007)
On January 16, 2007, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, along with the European Patent Office (EPO), implemented a new service to allow certified copies of patent application priority documents to be exchanged between the two offices electronically. Priority documents have to be filed when applicants wish to claim an earlier application filing date in one patent office based on a prior filing in another. The new service, which is free of charge to applicants, is the result of a 2005 agreement between the USPTO and the European Patent Office. Priority document exchange will get underway between the USPTO and the Japan Patent Office (JPO) later this year. Information on how to use the system can be found below.
Under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, a treaty that provides a number of important rights for innovators, a patent applicant may file an application in one Paris Convention member country (the priority document), and within 12 months, file corresponding applications in other member countries, while obtaining the benefit of the first application's filing date. This 12-month period allows applicants to make important decisions about where to file subsequent applications to seek protection for their inventions. Paris Convention filings are a critical component in many applicants' global business and patenting strategies and represent a substantial portion of worldwide patent activity. In order to obtain the benefit of an earlier filing, however, applicants are generally required to file paper copies of the priority document in each of the later-filing offices at their own expense. The new service allows the USPTO and EPO, with appropriate permissions, to obtain electronic copies of priority documents filed with the other office from its electronic records management system at no cost to the applicant.
This electronic exchange of copies of priority documents promotes sharing of information between the intellectual property offices and reduces the administrative costs associated with handling paper copies of priority documents and scanning them into the offices' electronic image record management systems.
Forms (PTO/SB/38 and PTO/SB/39) and instructions are available on the USPTO's Web site: http://www.uspto.gov/web/forms/index.html#patent . Applicants are strongly encouraged to check the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system to determine whether the USPTO successfully retrieved the priority document. The applicant will be notified if the retrieval attempt is unsuccessful and that a paper copy of the certified copy of the priority document must be provided before the U.S. application issues as a patent.
For further information, see Federal Register Notice: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/notices/72fr1664.pdf
Changes to Implement Priority Document Exchange Between Intellectual Property Offices, Final rule (16 Jan2007)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at January 17, 2007 11:53 AM
Changes to Implement Priority Document Exchange Between Intellectual Property Offices, Final rule (16 Jan 2007)
[16 January 2007]
View and/or download a PDF of this notice at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/notices/72fr1664.pdf
Electronic Notification of Outgoing Correspondence (e-Office Action) (19 Dec 2006)
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at December 20, 2006 03:37 PM
Electronic Notification of Outgoing Correspondence (e-Office Action)
[19 December 2006]
View and/or download a PDF of this notice at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/eofficeaction.pdf
USPTO Now Accepting Electronic Petitions to Revive Patents Expired for Failure to Pay Maintenance Fees
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at December 18, 2006 02:49 PM
USPTO Now Accepting Electronic Petitions to Revive Patents
Expired for Failure to Pay Maintenance Fees
The USPTO has launched a Web-based e-petition initiative that now permits, under certain circumstances, the electronic filing of petitions to reinstate patents that have expired for unintentional failure to pay the required maintenance fees at 3.5, 7.5, or 11.5 years. This initiative is part of a continuing effort to develop and improve electronic systems for filing and processing patent applications.
The new electronic "Petition to Accept Unintentionally Delayed Payment of Maintenance Fee in an Expired Patent" will allow petitioners to pay the delayed maintenance fee and surcharge on their expired patent and have the petition automatically granted by the USPTO. These e-petitions must be filed using EFS-Web. The petition decision is viewable instantly to the e-filer along with the electronic receipt of EFS-Web filing. A copy is stored electronically as part of the Image File Wrapper (IFW). The public may inspect the decision in applications that are currently viewable in the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system on the USPTO Web site. If the e-filer meets all the eligibility requirements for using this e-petition, there will be no delay in granting the petition to reinstate a patent.
More information on this new e-petition can be found in "Quick Start Guide for Petitions" [PDF] and in "Instructions" for EFS-web form SB66 [PDF]
For help on filing this new e-petition, please contact the Patent Electronic Business Center at 1-866-217-9197 or by e-mail to ebc@uspto.gov.
Future initiatives for e-petitions include petitions to make an application special based on an inventor's age, and petitions to revive an abandoned application by acceptance of the unintentionally delayed issue fee payment.
Notice of Clarification of Office Policy To Exercise Discretion in Reexamining Fewer Than All the Patent Claims
Posted by Kristen Cichocki at October 12, 2006 12:58 PM
Notice of Clarification of Office Policy To Exercise Discretion in Reexamining Fewer Than All the Patent Claims [signed 05 October 2006]
View and/or download a PDF of this notice at the following url:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/reex_cls_requested.pdf
USPTO Requesting More Timely and Useful Information From Patent Applicants
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at July 11, 2006 01:53 PM
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Brigid Quinn
(571) 272-8400 or
brigid.quinn@uspto.gov
#06-41
USPTO Requesting More Timely and Useful Information From Patent Applicants
Proposal Would Improve Patent Quality and May Bring Quicker Decisions
As part of its ongoing efforts to promote investment in innovation and spur economic growth, the Department of Commerce's U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced a new proposal that would streamline and improve the patent application review process. The new proposal would encourage patent applicants to provide the USPTO the most relevant information related to their inventions in the early stages of the review process.
“Clear disclosure upfront by applicants helps examiners more quickly make the correct decision about whether a claimed invention deserves a patent,” noted Jon Dudas, under secretary of commerce for intellectual property. “Clear, forthright disclosure benefits all, because the public – including potential investors - wants to know that a patent application has been thoroughly reviewed, applying the best data available.”
Patent applicants and their attorneys or agents currently have an obligation to inform USPTO's patent examiners of all information known to be material to patentability of the invention claimed by the applicant. Applicants list information for the examiner to consider in a communication called an Information Disclosure Statement (IDS).
The USPTO has observed that applicants sometimes provide information in a way that hinders rather than helps timely, accurate examination. For example, some applicants send a very large number of documents to the examiner, without identifying why they have been submitted, thus tending to obscure the most relevant information. Additionally, some applicants send very long documents without pointing out what part of the document makes it relevant to the claimed invention. Sometimes applicants delay sending key information to the examiner. These practices make it extremely difficult for the patent examiner to find and properly consider the most relevant information in the limited time available for examination of an application.
The USPTO's proposed rule change is designed to encourage early submission of relevant information, and to discourage submission of information that is unimportant or does not add something new for the examiner to consider. With the proposed changes, patent examiners would not have to review documents that do not directly relate to the claimed invention, or that duplicate other information already submitted.
Proposal Specifics
To encourage submission of relevant information to the patent examiner promptly and in a way that brings the most important information to the attention of the examiner, the USPTO is proposing to eliminate all fees associated with submitting an IDS. Under the proposal, applicants in most cases would be permitted to send up to twenty documents without additional explanation, if these documents are provided to the USPTO before the examiner sends a first communication to the applicant.
Were an applicant to submit more than twenty documents, or wait until after the patent examiner's first communication has been sent, the applicant would face increasing requirements to provide more detailed information about the documents and how they relate to the claimed invention. Applicants could be required to point out what part of the document makes it important, to identify specific claims to which a document applies, to clarify how a document adds new information not already considered by the examiner, or explain why the claims are patentable in light of the information provided.
Under the proposal, applicants would still be able to send in as many documents as they choose. However, there would be more stringent requirements for those choosing to submit large numbers of documents or very long documents.
For further information see: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/notices/71fr38808.pdf .
Changes To Information Disclosure Statement Requirements and Other Related Matters (10July2006)
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at July 10, 2006 12:45 PM
View and/or download a copy of this Notice at the following URL:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/notices/71fr38808.pdf
U.S. View on Conclusion of WIPO Development Committee Meeting
U.S. View on Conclusion of WIPO Development Committee Meeting
At the most recent session of the Provisional Committee for Consideration of Proposals Relating to a Development Agenda for WIPO (PCDA), the United States firmly supported, along with a majority of WIPO member states, immediate recommendations to adopt almost half of the 111 proposals being considered by that committee. The United States also joined the majority of members in supporting the PCDA Chairman’s (Paraguayan Ambassador Rigoberto Gauto Vielman) suggestion for a text to reflect the emerging consensus in recommendations to the 2006 WIPO General Assembly. This included a list of concrete proposals to immediately move forward and a recommendation that WIPO continue its consideration of the remaining proposals.
Unfortunately, a small number of countries, including Brazil and Argentina, the originators of proposals to establish a “development agenda” in WIPO, blocked the emerging consensus, and called for a suspension of the meeting rather than continue discussions.
Lois Boland, the head of the US delegation, expressed great disappointment. “We had a real chance to do something positive for the vast majority of WIPO members, particularly lesser developed countries, but this was unfortunately unacceptable to the political agenda of a small group of members,” Ms. Boland stated.
In light of the impasse, the issue may be revisited at the 2006 WIPO General Assemblies without a recommendation from the PCDA. The United States will continue to support expanding and improving WIPO’s ongoing development-related work.
Intellectual property rights are the universal currency of today’s dynamic global innovation economy, a critical vehicle for technology transfer, and an indispensable foundation for the growth and development that are the aspiration of all WIPO members.
Hall of Fame Inventor Forrest Bird to Speak at Independent Inventor Conference
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at July 2, 2006 01:45 AM
Hall of Fame Inventor Forrest Bird to Speak at Independent Inventor Conference
Space Limited…Register Now
Dr. Forrest Bird, whose invention of the “Baby Bird” respirator has saved the lives of millions of infants over the years, has joined the roster of speakers for the Chicago Regional Inventors Conference on July 28-29. Dr. Bird was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1995.
The Conference is co-sponsored by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Northwestern University School of Law and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. It will be held at the Northwestern School of Law, 375 E. Chicago Avenue.
Other speakers at the event include Commissioner for Patents John Doll and Louis Foreman, CEO of Enventys, a product design and manufacturing firm. Foreman is also executive producer of the upcoming PBS series, “Everyday Edisons.” The series, which features the inventions of 14 independent inventors, will premiere in September.
Various USPTO experts will be on hand to conduct workshops and one on one meetings with attendees. The two days will be packed with vital information for both novice and seasoned inventors. Space is limited so register now. For more details on the conference and to register click here.
Changes to Practice for Petitions in Patent Applications To Make Special and for Accelerated Examination (26June2006)
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at June 26, 2006 04:56 PM
View and/or download a .pdf of this Notice at the following URL:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/notices/71fr36323.htm
USPTO To Give Patent Filers Accelerated Review Option
USPTO To Give Patent Filers Accelerated Review Option
Proposal would guarantee final decision in 12 months
The Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is publishing procedures setting forth requirements for patent applicants who want, within 12 months, a final decision by the examiner on whether their application for a patent will be granted or denied. To be eligible for “accelerated examination,” applicants who file under this procedure will be required to provide specific information so that review of the application can be completed rapidly and accurately.
Jon Dudas, under secretary of commerce for intellectual property, explained the proposal by noting that “accelerated examination can provide innovators with the early certainty they may need to attract investors or protect their inventions against infringers.”
Any invention that is new, useful, non-obvious, and which is accompanied by a written description disclosing how to make and use it can be patented. Applicants’ submissions enjoy a presumption of patentability. Thus, to reject an application the USPTO is responsible for ensuring that any evidence indicating that the invention is not new or is obvious (known as “prior art”) is identified and explaining why the invention is not patentable in view of the evidence.
Applicants, have a duty to disclose to the USPTO relevant prior art of which they are aware. However, applicants are not required to search for prior art. Under the USPTO’s accelerated examination procedure, applicants will be required to conduct a search of the prior art, to submit all prior art that is closest to their invention, and explain what the prior art teaches and how their invention is different.
In addition to providing and explaining any prior art references, applicants must explicitly state how their invention is useful and must show how the written description supports the claimed invention. The proposal also limits the number of claims allowed in each application and shortens the time periods for responding to most USPTO communications.
The accelerated examination procedure is designed to give applicants quality patents in less time. In exchange for quick examination, patent examiners will receive more focused and detailed information about the invention and the closest prior art from the applicants. This increased disclosure upfront by applicants will help examiners more quickly make the correct decision about whether a claimed invention deserves a patent.
Comments on Clarification of Filing Date Requirements for Ex Parte and Inter Partes Reexamination Proceedings, Interim rule (22Jun2006)
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at June 23, 2006 04:25 PM
As of June 21, 2006, the person listed below has submitted a comment in response to the Clarification of Filing Date Requirements for Ex Parte and Inter Partes Reexamination Proceedings, Interim rule, first published in the Federal Register at 71 Fed. Reg. 9260 (February 23, 2006) and then published in the Official Gazette at 1304 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 95 (March 21, 2006). It is hoped that the public will review this list of comments to determine if it is complete. If any person or organization has submitted comments but is not included in this listing, please submit the comment by electronic mail message to ac2/comments@uspto.gov, or contact Stephen Marcus by telephone at (571) 272-7743.
A. Individuals
- Cohen, Joseph [PDF]
Some contents linked to on this page require a plug-in for PDF File.
Listing of US Patent Grant and US Pre-Grant Publication Documents Classified in US Patent Classification 705/36T
Listing of US Patent Grant and US Pre-Grant Publication Documents Classified in US Patent Classification 705/36T
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has created a list of US Patent Grant and US Pre-Grant Publication documents classified in US Patent Classification 705/36T. This is a list of documents that are currently, or soon will be, classified in Class 705 Data Processing: Financial, Business Practice, Management, Cost/Price Determination: 36T: Tax Strategies.
These collections are provided as an interim measure until the documents are added to our regular classification system.
Accessing the Listing:
To access the listing of new US Patent Grant and US Pre-Grant Publication documents, please click on the following link: http://www.uspto.gov/patft/class705_sub36t.html.
Request for Comments on Interim Guidelines for Examination of Patent Applications for Patent Subject Matter Eligibility, Request for comments; extension of comment period (14June2006)
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at June 15, 2006 03:41 PM
View and/or download a copy of this Notice at the following URL:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/notices/71fr34307.pdf
USPTO to Hold Conference on Protecting Your Intellectual Property in China and the Global Marketplace -- Seattle, July 12-13
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at June 13, 2006 03:46 PM
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is sponsoring a two-day, free program on "China's Impact on Intellectual Property: Protecting Your Intellectual Property in China and the Global Marketplace.” The two day event will be held on July 12-13 at the Grand Hyatt Seattle.
Topics to be covered at the conference include China’s laws and regulations that may affect how a business protects and enforces its intellectual property, how best to protect business assets to avoid intellectual property problems in the first place, how to recognize when an intellectual property asset has been infringed, what to do if infringement occurs, and what the U.S. government is doing to improve the intellectual property protection and enforcement environment in China.
Companies of any size, from those contemplating entering the China market to those with an established presence in the country should be particularly interested in attending the conference. In addition,those who simply want to know more about protecting themselves against IP theft from abroad will also find the sessions very helpful.
This program is part of the USPTO’s continuing commitment to increase public awareness of intellectual property rights and the enforcement of these rights in the global marketplace.
The conference is free, but seating is limited. Register now.
USPTO to Hold Conference on Intellectual Property in the Global Marketplace in Nashville July 18
The United States Patent and Trademark Office will present a one-day conference on intellectual property basics for small and medium size businesses, entrepreneurs, and independent inventors and will provide information on the new realities of intellectual property counterfeiting and piracy in the global marketplace.
The conference will be held Tuesday, July 18 at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt. The session will run from 8:30am to 5:00pm.
Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property Steve Pinkos will deliver opening remarks on Tuesday at 8:30am.
The conference is a component of USPTO’s small business campaign and is a part of the federal government’s Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP) and the USPTO’s continuing effort to increase public awareness about intellectual property and the enforcement of those rights in the global marketplace.
The conference is free, but seating is limited. Register now.
Independent Inventors Conference Set for Chicago July 28-29
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at June 8, 2006 11:53 AM
Independent Inventors Conference Set for Chicago July 28-29
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Northwestern University School of Law and the National Inventors Hall of Fame will hold a regional Independent Inventors Conference in Chicago on July 28-29. The conference will be held at the School of Law, 375 E. Chicago Ave. Top officials of the USPTO, successful inventors and other experts will be on hand to provide practical advice and information on marketing and intellectual property protection. The conference is designed for both novice and seasoned inventors.
Be watching this space in the coming weeks for details about registration, speakers and topics.
Changes to Eliminate the Disclosure Document Program (June 2005) (06Jun2006)
As of June 6, 2006, the organizations and persons listed below have submitted comments in response to the proposed rule Changes to Eliminate the Disclosure Document Program, published in the Federal Register at 71 Fed. Reg. 17399 (Apr. 6, 2006), and in the Official Gazette at 1306 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 22 (May 2, 2006). It is hoped that the public will review this list to determine if it is complete. If any person or organization has submitted comments but is not included in this listing, please submit the comment by electronic mail message at ddp.comments@uspto.gov, or contact Robert W. Bahr by telephone at (571) 272-8800.
Please note that the following documents are provided as submitted by persons and organizations but may contain spelling corrections, artifacts of scanning, OCR, or document format conversion.
A. Intellectual Property and Other Organizations
- American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) [PDF]
- United Inventors Association (UIA) [PDF]
B. Individuals
- Barron, Rick [PDF]
- Boland, J.F. [PDF]
- Burkhardt, George [PDF]
- Davis, Tonya [PDF]
- Eric [PDF]
- Field Jr, Thomas [PDF]
- Francis, Ray [PDF]
- Galoway, Lee [PDF]
- Golan, Yvette [PDF]
- Guza, David [PDF]
- Knapp, Margaret [PDF]
- Lewis, David [PDF]
- Merrill, Richard [PDF]
- Meschter, John [PDF]
- Mingus, Jason [PDF]
- Prochaska, Brett [PDF]
- Randall5977 [PDF]
- Shideler, Blynn [PDF]
- Slate, William [PDF]
- Thomas, Donald [PDF]
- Tower, Robert [PDF]
- Wahlberg, Stuart [PDF]
- White, James [PDF]
Some contents linked to on this page require a plug-in for PDF files.
USPTO To Conduct Briefing on New Web-Based Filing System for Patent Applications
MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact:
Brigid Quinn
(571) 272-8400 or
brigid.quinn@uspto.gov
Courtney Porter
(202) 535-7800 or
cporter@kearnswest.com
#06-36
USPTO To Conduct Briefing on New Web-Based Filing System for Patent Applications
Washington, D.C. – The United States Patent and Trademark office will be hosting an EFS-Web briefing on June 8, 2006. EFS-Web is the USPTO's new electronic patent filing system, which allows users to file patents online safely and securely by attaching files as PDF's.
| WHAT | EFS-Web Media Briefing |
| WHO | USPTO |
| WHEN | Thursday, June 8, 2006 |
| HOW | To attend this webinar, you must first register for it. Please click the following link to see more information about and register for this event. Once you have registered for the session, you will receive an email message confirming your registration. This message will provide the information that you need to join the session. |
https://websurveyorevents.webex.com/websurveyorevents/onstage/g.php?d=481284068&t=a | |
###
Revision of Patent Fees for Fiscal Year 2007 (05June2006)
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at June 6, 2006 12:48 PM
Revision of Patent Fees for Fiscal Year 2007 (05June2006)
View and/or download a copy of this Notice at the following URL:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/notices/71fr32285.pdf
For a brief commentary on the legislative posture underlying the PTO's "two option" fee proposal, please see this post on Promote the Progress.
Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Japan Patent Office (signed 22May2006)
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at May 24, 2006 10:06 AM
View and/or download a .pdf of this notice at the following URL:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/pph_pp.pdf
Notice of Collection of Practitionersâ E-mail Addresses
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at May 23, 2006 09:00 AM
Notice of Collection of Practitioners’ E-mail Addresses
| The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) is undertaking to collect Internet e-mail addresses for each registered patent attorney and patent agent. Gathering these e-mail addresses will facilitate and increase the ability of the Office to communicate with registered practitioners. The Office anticipates implementing automated notifications to registered practitioners of notices and IT system alerts. The Office also anticipates informing and inviting registered practitioners to attend conferences and other events the Office may hold in their areas. Availability of current Internet e-mail addresses will facilitate sending communications to registered practitioners with information of a non-confidential nature. The e-mail information will be maintained in an electronic database of the roster. To reduce occasions for spam and unwanted electronic communications, the e-mail addresses will not be published, viewable by the public on line, or otherwise made available to the public. The Office is in the process of implementing 37 CFR § 11.11, under which each “registered practitioner must notify the OED Director of up to three e-mail addresses where he or she receives e-mail.” The Office of Enrollment and Discipline’s database is now capable of storing and associating each practitioner’s name and registration number with up to three e-mail addresses for each practitioner. By this notice, practitioners are being requested to provide up to three e-mail addresses where they can receive communications from the Office. The collection of e-mail addresses is being implemented using a two-step process. The first step is for a practitioner to send an e-mail addressed to The second step is for the practitioner to send a confirmation letter addressed to Mail Stop OED, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, Virginia, 22323-1450. In the confirmation letter, the practitioner confirms over his or her original, personal signature the submission of the e-mail addresses to be used for the practitioner. The confirmation letter must include the same information as in the e-mail, preferably with the e-mail addresses in the same order. Facsimiles are not acceptable. 37 CFR § 1.4(e). Letters from law firms or corporate legal departments may provide confirmation for several registered practitioners, but must be signed by each practitioner. Following receipt of the confirmation letter, the e-mail address will be copied from the received e-mail and pasted into the database. OED will inform the practitioner by e-mail of the receipt of the confirmation letter and the inclusion of the practitioner’s e-mail addresses on the roster. Practitioners will be responsible for updating OED with each and every change of e-mail addresses. Until further notice, the e-mail addresses must be updated using the forgoing steps. Plain text is necessary inasmuch as the e-mail addresses will be pasted from the e-mail into the database. Practitioners will be responsible for the correctness of the e-mail addresses submitted to and included in the database. Accordingly, the correctness of the each e-mail address should be checked before it is submitted. Please do not submit e-mail addresses in PDF format or anything other than plain text. Office personnel will not type e-mail address information into the database that is submitted in PDF or other formats. Submission of e-mail addresses in PDF format or other means requiring the address to be typed into a database will not be accepted. If more than three e-mail addresses are submitted, only the first three e-mail addresses will be used. The e-mail addresses will not be disseminated to the public. Regarding business, not e-mail, addresses, practitioners should check, and where necessary, update their business address and telephone number on the roster. Practitioners may view the information regarding them that is available on the roster at: http://des.uspto.gov/OEDCI/. Any changes to the information on the roster, must be made by submitting a change of address form that is available at: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/oed/addchangefrm.pdf. Changes of business addresses cannot be accepted by e-mail, but must use the change of address form available at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/oed/addchangefrm.pdf. Harry I. Moatz May 11, 2006 |
Request for Comments on Patents Search Templates (16May2006)
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at May 17, 2006 09:41 PM
View and/or download a .pdf of this Notice at the following URL:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/notices/71fr28309.pdf
Semi-Finalists Chosen for Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at May 12, 2006 09:45 PM
Semi-Finalists Chosen for Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge
USPTO Co-Sponsoring Event
The History Channel and the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation have announced the 25 semi-finalists for the Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge. All of the semi-finalists will travel to New York the week of May 22 where an exhibition featuring their inventions will be held at Grand Central Station. The top five inventions, including the “Modern Marvel of the Year,” will be featured on the History Channel May 24-27.
The USPTO is a co-sponsor of the challenge. Under Secretary of Commerce Jon Dudas will speak at the awards ceremony and participate in an inventor’s seminar being held in conjunction with the week’s activities.
For more information about the semi-finalists’ inventions and the Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge, visit inventnow.org.
National Inventors Hall of Fame Inducts 2006 Class
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at May 10, 2006 12:52 PM
National Inventors Hall of Fame Inducts 2006 Class
USPTO’s Jon Dudas Joins Celebration
The National Inventors Hall of Fame held its 34th annual induction ceremony last Saturday in Akron, Ohio. Speaking at the ceremony, Under Secretary of Commerce Jon Dudas hailed the new inductees for, “all you have given to the world. In some cases you have saved our lives or the lives of our relatives. Or you have cured our illnesses, improved our ability to enjoy life or helped us to achieve a higher standard of living.” The Under Secretary joined in presenting medals to eight inventors.
This year’s inductees were: Willard Boyle and George Smith for information storage devices that led to the development of the hand-held video camera and is the vital component in digital cameras, scanners and fax machines. Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn, the “fathers of the Internet”, who designed a system that allows supercomputers and desktop PC’s to share the Internet. Robert Gore, the inventor of a process for producing porous products that are extremely durable and strong. The materials produced by the process are best-known by the GORE-TEX brand name. Ali Javan invented the gas optical maser, which is the most widely used laser and is an important tool in research labs, industry and telecommunications. Robert Langer was inducted for the invention of the technology that allows controlled drug delivery. He is one of the most prolific living inventors and holds over 300 U.S. and foreign patents. Julio Palmaz is the inventor of the first commercially successful intravascular stent. The Palmaz Stent has revolutionized cardiac care and over one million people every year undergo coronary stenting to repair clogged arteries.
The National Inventors Hall of Fame was co-founded by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 1973. Since that time 313 inventors have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
USPTO to hold Briefing on Patent Peer Review Pilot Project
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at May 9, 2006 09:51 AM
USPTO to hold Briefing on Patent Peer Review Pilot Project
Alexandria, VA - May 12, 2006
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will hold a briefing on May 12, 2006, from 9:00 a.m. to noon in the agency’s Madison building, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA. The USPTO has created a partnership with academia and the private sector to launch an online, peer review pilot project that seeks to ensure that patent examiners will have improved access to all available prior art during the patent examination process.
As a follow-up to the February 16th meeting, this briefing will focus on further developing previously discussed initiatives as well as answering the question of what constitutes valid prior art and a greater in-depth analysis of the peer review pilot project that is under consideration.
The meeting is open to the public. However, space is limited so please register early. Only the first 220 registrations can be accepted.
Alexandria Town Hall Meeting Focuses on Improvements to Patent Review Process
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at April 26, 2006 08:05 AM
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Brigid Quinn or Ruth Nyblod
(571) 272-8400 or
brigid.quinn@uspto.gov
Ruth.nyblod@uspto.gov
#06-26
Alexandria Town Hall Meeting Focuses on Improvements to Patent Review Process
Washington, D.C. — The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today held a town hall meeting to engage the public and learn their views on USPTO's proposals intended to streamline the application review process. A four-person panel representing a spectrum of organizations with interests in the patent system offered their views on the proposals which are designed to ensure high quality patent examination and work toward decreasing the backlog of pending applications.
Suzanne Michel, Federal Trade Commission; Jay Thomas, Georgetown Law School; Charles Van Horn, American Intellectual Property Law Association; and Herbert C. Wamsley, Intellectual Property Owners Association shared their views on the proposals with a group of over 100 patent attorneys, patent agents, independent inventors and members of the small business community.
“The USPTO clearly has a responsibility to do everything it can to improve America's patent system. That is why we are undertaking this collaborative approach – putting forth quality and efficiency proposals for the patent community to give us feedback,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property Jon Dudas. “Applicants and the public deserve certainty. This focus on quality of applications and closure of the examination process will provide more certainty. Everyone agrees that better quality input will result in a better quality end product.”
In FY 2004, nearly one-third of the 355,000 new patent applications were resubmitted by applicants hoping to change the agency's decision. Also, over 40 percent of new applications in FY 2004 had more than 20 claims. Thus, the USPTO has published for comment proposed initiatives to restrict rework on old applications and limit the number of claims the USPTO will initially examine for each invention.
The proposed rules can be found at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/notices/71fr48.pdf and http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/notices/71fr61.pdf. PDF viewer is required for these documents.Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) to Keynote USPTO IP Conference
Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) to Keynote USPTO IP Conference
Columbus, OH - May 15-16
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will present a two-day conference on intellectual property basics for small and medium size businesses, entrepreneurs and independent inventors and will provide information on the new realities of intellectual property counterfeiting and piracy in the global marketplace.
The conference will be held May 15-16 at the Hyatt Capital Square in Columbus, Ohio. The sessions run both days from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Deputy Under Secretary for Intellectual Property Steve Pinkos will deliver opening remarks for the conference on Monday morning. Senator George Voinovich will deliver a keynote address at a luncheon later that day.
The conference is a component of USPTO’s small business campaign and is a part of the federal government’s Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP) and the USPTO’s continuing effort to increase public awareness about intellectual property and the enforcement of those rights in the global marketplace.
The conference is free, but seating is limited. Register now.
USPTO to Sponsor Panel Discussion on Proposals to Improve Patent Examination
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at April 24, 2006 09:13 AM
MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact:
Brigid Quinn or Ruth Nyblod
(571) 272-8400 or
brigid.quinn@uspto.gov
Ruth.nyblod@uspto.gov
#06-25
USPTO to Sponsor Panel Discussion on Proposals to Improve Patent Examination
Washington, D.C. – The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is holding a town hall meeting to educate the public on USPTO's plans to streamline the application review process. A four-person panel representing a variety of organizations with interests in the patent system will offer their views on the proposals which are designed to ensure high quality patent examination and work toward decreasing the backlog of pending applications.
| WHAT | Town Hall Meeting An overview of the challenges the USPTO faces and the reasons why proposed new rules limiting claims and rework are necessary, panel discussion and a question and answer session. |
| WHO | John Doll, Commissioner for Patents Jay Lucas, Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy |
| WHEN | Tuesday, April 25, 2006 |
| WHERE | United States Patent and Trademark Office |
For more information, please go to http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/townhall.htm . | |
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More on the $26 Million consumer redress decision against the Davison & Associates invention promotion operation
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at April 20, 2006 02:23 PM
Orders $26 Million in Redress For Consumers; USPTO’s Director Jon Dudas Praises Court Decision
A U.S. district court judge has ordered an invention promotion operation to pay $26 million in consumer redress and has ordered a permanent halt to the bogus claims the company used to recruit customers. The court also ordered that in future dealings with consumers, the company make specific, detailed disclosures about their track record in helping inventors market their ideas. “This affirmative disclosure statement is needed due to defendants’ blatant, varied, and repeated misrepresentations . . . ” Judge Gary L. Lancaster of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania wrote in his decision.
“This outfit is typical of invention promotion scams,” said Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “They touted their ability to turn inventors’ ideas into profitable products, but fewer than one percent of the customers who invested in their services got royalties from their patents that amounted to more than they paid the promoters.”
In a complaint filed by the FTC as part of “Project Mousetrap,” the agency charged that the company used Internet ads and classified ads to lure inventors across the country to sign up for their services. The agency charged that they made false claims about their selectivity in choosing products to promote, false claims about their track record in turning inventions into profitable products, and false claims about the relationship they had with manufacturers. They deceptively claimed that their income came from sharing royalties with inventors rather than from the $800 to $12,000 fees they charged inventors.
Jon Dudas, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property commented, “Judge Lancaster’s decision sends a strong signal to all those invention promotion and licensing firms that prey upon America’s independent inventor community that fraudulent and unscrupulous practices will not be tolerated.”
The agency alleged that the defendants made false and misleading statements that:
• Consumers who bought their invention-promotion services stand a reasonably good chance of realizing financial gain.
• Their invention-promotion services helped many of their customers' invention ideas become profitable products.
• Their invention-promotion services helped specific inventions become profitable products.
• That they have a vast network of corporations with whom they have ongoing relationships and regularly negotiate successful licensing agreements.
• That their invention marketing services are necessary for consumers to license their invention ideas.
• That they prepare objective and expert analyses of the patentability and marketability of consumers' invention ideas.
Judge Lancaster agreed that the company had engaged in deceptive practices, noting that even after he had issued an order barring deceptive claims, “defendants continued to engage in deceptive practices, albeit in slightly different forms. Based on this past pattern of conduct, there is a very real danger that defendants will alter their business again, yet continue to engage in wrongdoing.”
To prevent those practices, he ordered the company and its principals to pay $26 million for consumer redress and to provide any future clients with a 10-point disclosure statement to allow them objectively to measure the value of the defendants’ assistance. He ordered that when they highlight or advertise specific consumer products or ideas in advertising, they disclose whether the inventor earned royalties that exceeded the total amount of fees paid by the consumer to the defendants. If the defendants claim that they have “matched” or “targeted” an invention to a corporation, they must disclose how many submissions they have made to that corporation in the past five years and the number of licenses entered into with the corporation over the past five years. He required them to disclose that the “Pre-Inventegration” and “modeling” services they sold to inventors were not necessary to achieve licensing agreements and that they disclose that they are not providing consumers with objective or expert opinion of marketability or potential commercial success.
The court also established record keeping provisions to allow the FTC to monitor compliance with Judge Lancaster’s order.
Defendants in this case were Davison & Associates Inc., now known as Davison Design and Development, Inc., Manufacturer's Support Services, Inc., George M. Davison, President and CEO, Thomas Dowler, Gordon M. Davison and Barbara Miele-Davison. The defendants are based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but have operated nationwide.
Copies of the FTC complaint, and the courts Findings of Fact and Conclusion of Law and the Order for Permanent Injunction are available from the FTC's Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC's Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish (bilingual counselors are available to take complaints), or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, (), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.htm. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to thousands of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
MEDIA CONTACT: Claudia Bourne Farrell, Office of Public Affairs | Federal Trade Commission 202-326-2181
STAFF CONTACT: Michael Milgrom, East Central Region | Federal Trade Commission 216-263-3455
FTC CONSUMER CONTACT: 216-263-3434
(19APR2006)
Court Halts Bogus Invention Promotion Claims, Orders $26 Million in Redress For Consumers; USPTOâs Director Jon Dudas Praises Court Decision
Court Halts Bogus Invention Promotion Claims
Orders $26 Million in Redress For Consumers; USPTO’s Director Jon Dudas Praises Court Decision
A U.S. district court judge has ordered an invention promotion operation to pay $26 million in consumer redress and has ordered a permanent halt to the bogus claims the company used to recruit customers. The court also ordered that in future dealings with consumers, the company make specific, detailed disclosures about their track record in helping inventors market their ideas. “This affirmative disclosure statement is needed due to defendants’ blatant, varied, and repeated misrepresentations . . . ” Judge Gary L. Lancaster of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania wrote in his decision.
“This outfit is typical of invention promotion scams,” said Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “They touted their ability to turn inventors’ ideas into profitable products, but fewer than one percent of the customers who invested in their services got royalties from their patents that amounted to more than they paid the promoters.”
In a complaint filed by the FTC as part of “Project Mousetrap,” the agency charged that the company used Internet ads and classified ads to lure inventors across the country to sign up for their services. The agency charged that they made false claims about their selectivity in choosing products to promote, false claims about their track record in turning inventions into profitable products, and false claims about the relationship they had with manufacturers. They deceptively claimed that their income came from sharing royalties with inventors rather than from the $800 to $12,000 fees they charged inventors.
Jon Dudas, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property commented, “Judge Lancaster’s decision sends a strong signal to all those invention promotion and licensing firms that prey upon America’s independent inventor community that fraudulent and unscrupulous practices will not be tolerated.”
Town Hall Meeting on Patent Claims and Continuation Practice
Town Hall Meeting on Patent Claims and Continuation Practice
Alexandria, VA - April 25
A town hall meeting on the proposed rule changes for claims and continuations will be held April 25 in Alexandria, Virginia. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will host the event at the Madison auditorium at the USPTO, (600 Dulaney Street, Alexandria, Va). The meeting will be held from 2pm – 4pm.
Jon Dudas, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, Jay Lucas, Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy and James Toupin, the agency’s General Counsel, will provide a brief overview of the challenges the USPTO faces and the reasons why the proposed new rules are necessary. A panel of individuals with varying interests in the U.S. patent system has been invited to offer their views on the proposed rule changes. To stimulate the discussion, panel members also will answer questions posed by a USPTO moderator. A question and answer session will follow immediately after the panel presentation and then John Doll, Commissioner for Patents, will give closing remarks.
Registration is free and CLE credit may be available.
The town hall meetings are for patent attorneys, patent agents, independent inventors and members of the small business community, or anyone else interested in patent examination.
USPTO Seeks Nominees for Public Advisory Committees
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at April 10, 2006 04:36 PM
USPTO Seeks Nominees for Public Advisory Committees
May 8 Deadline for Submissions
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is seeking qualified individuals to serve on its public advisory committees. Nominations are being requested for three members to each of the committees. Members are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce and serve for three years. Persons wishing to submit nominations should send the nominee's resume to the Chief of Staff, Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, Post Office Box 1450, Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450.
Electronic submissions for the patent advisory committee should be sent to PPACnominations@uspto.gov and to TPACnominatons@uspto.gov for the trademark advisory committee. Nominations must be postmarked or electronically transmitted on or before May 8, 2006.
For more information about the advisory committees and the duties and responsibilities of members see Public Advisory Committees.
Conference on Protecting Your Intellectual Property Rights in China and the Global Marketplace Set for Chicago, Illinois
Conference on Protecting Your Intellectual Property Rights in China and the Global Marketplace Set for Chicago, Illinois
May 4-5
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will sponsor a two-day seminar on "Protecting Your Intellectual Property Rights in China and the Global Marketplace” on Thursday and Friday, May 4-5, 2006, at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.
This free program, which is part of the federal government’s Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP), will provide comprehensive information on protecting and enforcing intellectual property in China for companies of any size, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). If your company is thinking about entering the China market, if you already have an established presence in China or if you simply want to learn about how to protect your company against IP theft from abroad, you will want to attend this event.
Topics will include a review of China’s current laws and regulations affecting intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement; protecting business assets to avoid IP problems from China; recognizing when an IP asset has been infringed; what to do if infringement occurs; and the U.S. government’s efforts to improve the IP protection and enforcement environment in China for U.S. industry.
Speakers at the seminar will include China IP experts, U.S. and/or Chinese government officials, representatives from U.S. and Chinese law firms servicing clients in China, and representatives from various U.S. companies.
The conference is free, but registration is required.
Conference on Intellectual Property in the Global Marketplace Set for Columbus, Ohio
Conference on Intellectual Property in the Global Marketplace Set for Columbus, Ohio
May 15-16
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will present a two-day conference on intellectual property basics for small and medium size businesses, entrepreneurs and independent inventors and will provide information on the new realities of intellectual property counterfeiting and piracy in the global marketplace.
The conference will be held May 15-16 at the Hyatt Capital Square in Columbus, Ohio. The sessions run both days from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The conference is a component of USPTO’s small business campaign and is a part of the federal government’s Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP) and the USPTO’s continuing effort to increase public awareness about intellectual property and the enforcement of those rights in the global marketplace.
The conference is free, but seating is limited. Register now.
Semiconductor Customer Partnership Meeting
A Semiconductor Customer Partnership meeting will be held on Tuesday April 25, 2006 at the Alexandria headquarters of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Established in June 1999, the Semiconductor Customer Partnership provides a forum for the continued exchange of ideas toward improving the quality and timeliness of the examination process in semiconductor technology. The partnership also provides members of the semiconductor community with an opportunity to learn about recent business process improvements and policy changes that have occurred at the USPTO. Partnership meetings are held biannually in the Washington DC and San Francisco Bay areas.
The partnership meeting is open to anyone interested in the intellectual property issues facing the semiconductor industry. Presenters for this meeting include managers from the Semiconductor work group in Technology Center 2800, which is responsible for examining patent applications filed in Semiconductor Devices, Processing of Semiconductor Devices, Digital Logic Circuits, Solid State Electronic Circuits, Memory Circuits and Devices, Analog Circuits and Devices, and Design and Analysis of Semiconductor circuits and Masks. The semiconductor workgroup is one of the largest in the patent operation with 18 art units and over 300 examiners.
The agenda will include presentations on:
Training Program for New Examiners
State of the Semiconductor Workgroup
State of the Semiconductor Industry
Proposed new rules package
Working with Examiners in the Hoteling Environment
Prosecution issues in the Semiconductor Workgroup
Classification Harmonization with USPTO, EPO and JPO
In addition, there will be sessions devoted to customer presentations and a roundtable discussion in the afternoon.
Date and Location:
The Partnership meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 25, 2006, from 9:00 AM–4:00 PM in the Jefferson Conference Center at the USPTO headquarters. The Conference center is located at the lobby level of Jefferson Building, 500 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Virginia.
If you are interested in attending the meeting, please contact Tom Thomas at 571-272-1664 or by e-mail to tom.thomas@uspto.gov.
Note: The Semiconductor Customer Partnership is designed and developed to be a forum to share ideas, experiences, and insights between individual users and the USPTO. The USPTO does not intend to use these customer partnership groups to arrive at any consensus. Invitations to participate will indicate that individual opinions are sought, rather than a group consensus and that the meetings are intended to be informal in nature and have varying participants. These customer partnership groups are formed with full recognition of the USPTO’s responsibility under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), and that these customer partnership groups are not established as FACA compliant committees.
Changes to Eliminate the Disclosure Document Program, Notice of proposed rule making
You can view and/or download a copy of this notice at the following URL:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/notices/71fr17399.pdf
USPTO Releases List of Top 10 Universities Receiving Most Patents in 2005
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Brigid Quinn or Ruth Nyblod
571-272-8400
brigid.quinn@uspto.gov
ruth.nyblod@uspto.gov
#06-24
USPTO Releases List of Top 10 Universities Receiving Most Patents in 2005
University of California leads U.S. academic institutions for 12th consecutive year
The Department of Commerce's United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced the top 10 U.S. universities receiving the most patents during calendar year 2005. Listed below are the universities receiving the most patents for inventions in 2005, along with their 2004 ranking. The University of California tops the list for the 12th consecutive year.
"America's economic strength and global leadership depend on continued technological advances,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property Jon Dudas. "Groundbreaking discoveries and patented inventions generated by innovative minds at academic institutions have paid enormous dividends, improving the lives and livelihoods of generations of Americans.”
PRELIMINARY LIST OF TOP PATENTING U.S. UNIVERSITIES
Calendar Year 2005
This report presents a preliminary list of the U.S. universities receiving the most patents for invention (i.e., utility patents) during the 2005 calendar year. All campuses are included.
| Rank in 2005* | Number of Patents in 2005* | U.S. University* | Rank in 2004* | Number of Patents in 2004* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 390 | University of California | (1) | (424) |
2 | 136 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | (3) | (132) |
3 | 101 | California Institute of Technology | (2) | (135) |
4** | 90 | Stanford University ** | (6) | (75) |
** | 90 | University of Texas ** | (4) | (101) |
5 | 77 | University of Wisconsin | (8) | (64) |
6** | 71 | John Hopkins University ** | (5) | (94) |
** | 71 | University of Michigan ** | (7) | (67) |
7 | 64 | University of Florida | (13) | (41) |
8 | 57 | Columbia University | (10) | (52) |
9** | 43 | Georgia Institute of Technology ** | (19) | (37) |
** | 43 | University of Pennsylvania ** | (24) | (32) |
10 | 41 | Cornell University | (16) | (40) |
* The listed patent counts are preliminary counts that are subject to correction. ** Indicates a tie in the ranking among two or more U.S. universities. | ||||
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United States Patent and Trademark Office Notification of Spring 2006 Business Methods Partnership Meeting
Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at March 28, 2006 07:55 AM
United States Patent and Trademark Office Notification of Spring 2006 Business Methods Partnership Meeting
As part of the March 2000 business method action plan, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announces the Spring 2006 business methods customer partnership meeting to be hosted by the director and managers of the Business Methods workgroup. Members of the public are invited to attend the partnership meeting. The partnership meeting is an opportunity for an informal discussion on topics such as hoteling, functional/non-functional descriptive material, new 101 guidelines, and other topics specific to business methods. While public attendees will have the opportunity to provide their individual input, group consensus advice will not be sought.
DATES AND LOCATION:
The partnership meeting will be held on Wednesday May 3, 2006,
1:00 P.M.-5:00 P.M.
at the USPTO MADISON AUDITORIUM, Concourse Level,
Madison Building,
600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22313
Requests for Attendance at the Partnership Meeting
Requests for attendance will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis according to the time and date of receipt of each request. In order to ensure a broad cross- section of attendees, the USPTO reserves the right to limit the number of attendees from any single organization or law firm. Therefore, organizations and law firms must designate their official representatives. Individuals will be notified of accepted requests for attendance by the USPTO no later than one week prior to the date of the meeting. Non-accepted requesters will also be notified by the USPTO. No one will be permitted to attend without an accepted request.
Requests for attendance at the partnership meeting should be submitted to the attention of Joe Thomas via facsimile at (571) 273-6776, or by electronic mail through the Internet to Joseph Thomas. Requests for attendance must include the attendee's name, affiliation, title, mailing address, and telephone number. Facsimile number and Internet mail address, if available, should also be provided. Requests must be received by April 19, 2006.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Joe Thomas by telephone at (571) 272-6776 (in addition to the facsimile numbers and e-mail addresses given above).
Welcome to RSS Mojo
Posted by Stephen M. Nipper at March 27, 2006 10:33 PM
RSS Mojo currently has two components: (1) US Patent and Trademark Office News and (2) IP Lawsuit Filing Updates.
1. US Patent and Trademark Office News
Unlike the Copyright Office, the Patent and Trademark Office doesn't yet have RSS feeds of their News & Notice's page. We've done it for you. You can subscribe via RSS or via e-mail.
a. RSS feeds:
Official Gazette and Federal Register Notices
General Announcements
Patent News and Notices
Trademark News and Notices
OR, all of the above: ALL PTO News and Notices
b. E-mail subscription:
J. Matthew Buchanan 
Stephen M. Nipper 
Douglas Sorocco 