The After Final Consideration Pilot (AFCP) is part of the USPTO’s on-going efforts towards compact prosecution and increased collaboration between examiners, inventors and the patent bar. Certain requirements must be met to qualify for the provisions of the AFCP. For example: 1. The amendment places the application in condition for allowance by canceling claims or [...]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that it will open the current Patent Law School Clinic Certification Pilot Program to admit 10 additional schools for the upcoming fall 2012 academic year. This pilot program allows law students to practice patent law before the agency under the guidance of a law school faculty [...]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will host the 2011 National Trademark Expo on Friday, October 14th, and Saturday, October 15th, at the USPTO’s headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. The free two-day event is designed to educate the public about the value of trademarks in the global marketplace. Last year’s Expo attracted over 10,000 [...]
On September 16, 2011, President Barack Obama signed into law the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA), which will foster innovation and spur job creation in the United States. This Act sets into motion the most comprehensive overhaul to our nation’s patent system since 1836. Patent attorneys, agents and the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) [...]
Last month the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced the backlog of patent applications awaiting first office action by examiners dropped below 700,000 in June, and this month it reports the number has dropped further. The backlog is now at 689,226, with 65,334 applications awaiting initial action following a request for continued examination (RCE) [...]
