USPTO Implements Final First-Inventor-to-File Rules Effective March 16

The USPTO recently published final rules implementing the first-inventor-to-file provisions of the America Invents Act (AIA) that take effect on March 16, 2013.  The full text of the new rules is available here.  The USPTO also published examination guidelines accompanying…

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New USPTO Fee Schedule To Take Effect on March 19th

On January 18, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) issued new rules setting and adjusting patent fees. Under the America Invents Act (AIA), the PTO has increased authority to set and change the fees it charges in order…

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New Year Brings New Amendments to AIA

With confetti still lingering in the air Congress passed H.R. 6621 which includes many technical amendments to the America Invents Act.  The passing of H.R. 6621 was not without a small amount of controversy as a section dealing with still…

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David J. Kappos to Step Down as Director of the USPTO in January 2013

The director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced earlier this week he will leave the position in January 2013 after holding the position for more than three years. During his tenure, Kappos oversaw the implementation of…

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Woodard Emhardt Attorney Speaks at Purdue's Office of Technology Commercialization as well as on NPR Station

Woodard Emhardt partner Dan Lueders recently spoke to Purdue University’s Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC). Subsequent to the presentation, Dan gave a radio interview regarding the recent changes for the America Invents Act (AIA). Read more about Dan’s presentation and…

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Woodard Emhardt Obtains Order Transferring Patent Case out of the ED of Texas

Judge Leonard Davis of the Eastern District of Texas recently ordered that a patent infringement lawsuit filed against an Indianapolis based company be transferred to the Southern District of Indiana.  The lawsuit was filed following the effective date of the…

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Provisions of the America Invents Act Effective as of September 16, 2012

Provisions of the America Invents Act Effective as of September 16, 2012 The America Invents Act (IAI) is now one year old and several important provisions are now in effect.  Some of these provisions are important to both patent holders…

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Will the America Invents Act (AIA) Change Patent Litigation in the Eastern District of Texas?

This presentation examines whether the AIA will change patent litigation in the Eastern District of Texas. The presentation explores aspects of the AIA, including changes to joinder, Post Grant Review and Inter Partes Review and how each of these changes…

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A New Way to Obtain your Patents Faster

The America Invents Act creates a new way for inventors to shorten the time it takes to obtain a patent.  This is called Prioritized Examination.  Under the PE program, an applicant pays an extra $4800 fee ($2400 for small entities)…

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US Senate Passes the America Invents Act

On September 8, 2011, the Senate overwhelmingly passed S.23, more commonly known as the “America Invents Act”. It is the same bill passed by the House of Representatives in June which makes several significant changes to the U.S. patent system.…

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US House of Representatives Passes the America Invents Act

On June 23, 2011, the House of Representatives passed HR 1249, commonly known as the America Invents Act, which was mentioned in a previous post here (112th Congress Becomes the Fourth To Attempt to Tackle Patent Reform).  Of note, the…

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