On August 13, the Patent Trials and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board) published updates to the AIA Trial Practice Guide (the TPG Update). The TPG Update is a supplement to the original Trial Practice Guide (TPG), which the PTAB first published in 2012 along with the promulgation of Trial Rules for AIA proceedings. The TPG is “intended to encourage consistency of procedures among panels of the PTAB.” TPG Update at 2. The TPG Update provides additional guidance on several aspects of trial practice before the PTAB, based on its almost six years of experience with AIA trial proceedings. Id. Rather than update the entire TPG at once, to expedite disseminating information to the public, the PTAB expects to publish updates like the TPG Update on different sections of the TPG on a periodic basis. Id.
Originally published in the Boston Patent Law Association (BPLA) Newsletter - Fall 2018.
Please see full publication below for more information.