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Prior Art Patent Examinations Patent Applications

Morrison & Foerster LLP

Federal Circuit Overrules Obviousness Test for Design Patents

In its first en banc patent decision since 2018, the Federal Circuit overruled the longstanding obviousness test for design patents under 35 U.S.C. 103. LKQ Corp. v. GM Global Tech. Operations LLC, No. 21‑2348 slip op. (Fed....more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Strategies for Successful Patent Owner Reexamination Requests

Takeaways: - Patent owner requested reexaminations are not an admission of claim unpatentability. - Patent owners can and should control the reexamination request narrative. Patent owners must consider the pros and...more

Foley & Lardner LLP

USPTO Issues Updated Guidance on Obviousness

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For the first time in nearly 15 years, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued “Updated Guidance for Making a Proper Determination of Obviousness” under the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in KSR Int’l Co. v....more

Linda Liu & Partners

Thoughts on Strategy for Arguing against Objection of Lacking Essential Technical Features

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I Introduction - Under Rule 20.2 of the Implementation Regulations of the Chinese Patent Law, “The independent claim shall outline the technical solution of an invention or utility model and state the essential technical...more

Linda Liu & Partners

China: Criteria for Examining Inventive Step of Crystalline Form Inventions and Suggestions for Patenting Crystalline Forms

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Polymorphism of a pharmaceutical compound refers to its state of existing in different solid forms that is caused by the fact that the molecules of the compound, though being of the same chemical structure, are arranged in...more

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

A Few Things that USPTO Could Do to Simplify Patent Prosecution

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office handles hundreds of thousands of patent applications per year, as well as various types of administrative patent proceedings.  While the USPTO has made incremental improvements in its...more

Linda Liu & Partners

How to Draft the Parameter-defined Product Claims in Chinese Patent Application

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Summary: When an uncommon parameter or a self-defined parameter is used in the claim, usually it is necessary to explain the definition and/or the measuring method of the parameter in detail. Even though a parameter is...more

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

USPTO News Briefs

Updated First Office Action Estimator Tool Now Available - In a Patent Alert email distributed earlier today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced that an updated First Office Action Estimator online tool is now...more

Morgan Lewis

USPTO Introduces Pilot Program to Defer Response to Subject Matter Eligibility Rejections

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The US Patent and Trademark Office is implementing a pilot program to allow participating applicants to defer responding to subject matter eligibility rejections until the earlier of a final disposition of the application, or...more

Mintz - Intellectual Property Viewpoints

The USPTO’s Patent Classification and Search Systems Have Jumped on the AI Bandwagon

It is no question that Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) technologies have popped up in all aspects of society such as online shopping, music streaming, and social networking. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) has...more

Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck, P.C.

Tips for Reviewing (or Drafting) Patent Claims

For emerging companies, a patent application should combine legal skill with technical and business knowledge to produce a document that will serve as a foundation to the company’s valuation and future profitability....more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Global Patent Prosecution - November 2020: The USPTO's First Action Interview Pilot Program

Time to grant is vitally important when generating a robust patent portfolio. While speed is critical for many start-ups, it often comes with a price. Track One examination requires payment of fees. And even the patent...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Global Patent Prosecution - November 2020

Two Pilot Programs for Compact Prosecution – First Action Interview and After Final Consideration Pilot Programs - Streamlining and accelerating patent prosecution are goals of both the USPTO and stakeholders. The USPTO has...more

Jones Day

PTAB Issues Guidance With Regard to AAPA

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On August 18, 2020, the USPTO issued guidance regarding the reliance on Applicant Admitted prior art (AAPA).  Under 35 U.S.C. § 311(b), IPRs may be instituted only “on the basis of prior art consisting of patents or printed...more

Womble Bond Dickinson

Don’t Miss USPTO’s Lapsing Collaborative Search Option

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Recently, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office provided an additional tool for patent applicants to use in pursuit of foreign patent protection. In 2015, the USPTO partnered with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, or...more

Womble Bond Dickinson

Using Old Tech to Get New Tech Patent

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Your company just invested to get an application on Track One prioritized examination. Now what? The Track One prioritized program does not guarantee an applicant to get an allowance — only a final disposition that can be a...more

Knobbe Martens

Federal Circuit Review - November 2019

Knobbe Martens on

The Appointments Clause: Ensuring That PTAB Decisions Are Subject to Constitutional Checks and Balances  In Arthrex, Inc. v. Smith & Nephew, Inc., Appeal No. 18-2251, the Federal Circuit ruled that, under the then-existing...more

Williams Mullen

PTAB Designates as Informative Two Ex Parte Decisions Regarding Examiners’ Use of “Design Choice” Rationale in Support of...

Williams Mullen on

On October 15, 2019, the PTAB designated as informative two decisions providing insight into when it is an appropriate for an examiner to reply upon a so-called “design choice” rationale in support of an obviousness...more

Snell & Wilmer

Appealing the Rejection of a Patent Application

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Sometimes appealing an Examiner’s rejection is the only practical option. If no claims of valuable scope have been allowed or indicated as allowable, and all clarifying claim amendments, supporting evidence and salient...more

Knobbe Martens

Federal Circuit Finds That a Variant Polypeptide Sequence Infringes Under the Doctrine of Equivalents

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Ajinomoto Co., Inc. vs. CH Cheiljedang Corp. (2018-1590, 2018-1629) - In a pair of cross-appeals from the International Trade Commission, the Federal Circuit affirmed the Commission’s ruling that one of CJ CheilJedang...more

Snell & Wilmer

Proper Prosecution of a U.S. Utility Patent Application

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I. Introduction. “Prosecution” of a patent application is the process by which an application moves through the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) after being filed. Prosecution is often a more lengthy and...more

Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC

Buyer Beware: 5 Ways That Cheap Patent Application Only Bought You a Headache

Low-cost patent applications may cost quality. It’s no secret that many more clients than in the past are demanding that their outside patent counsel prepare patent applications at a lower cost—often far lower—than their...more

Foley & Lardner LLP

Federal Circuit Chastises PTAB Over Moving Target On Ex Parte Appeal

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The Federal Circuit decision in In re Durance is a rare precedential decision in an ex parte appeal from a Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) decision rejecting a pending patent application. The Court took the USPTO to task...more

Knobbe Martens

PTAB Designates Informative Decisions on Discretionary Denial of Institution for Prior Art Previously Presented to the Office

Knobbe Martens on

On March 21, 2018, the PTAB designated two decisions as “informative” that denied institution for presenting prior art that had been previously presented during prosecution. Becton, Dickinson & Co. v. B. Braun Melsungen AG,...more

Jones Day

Federal Circuit Provides Guidance on Obviousness of a Claimed Range of Values

Jones Day on

Patent applicants often draft claims to cover various ranges of physical or chemical characteristics. Of primary concern during prosecution are prior art documents that disclose similar, but not overlapping, ranges. In In re...more

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