USPTO Revised Guidance for Subject Matter Eligibility, Effective January 7, 2019

January 08, 2019

On January 4, 2019, the USPTO announced revised guidance taking effect on January 7, 2019, for determining subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. § 101 (“2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance”). The revised guidance supersedes all versions of the USPTO’s “Eligibility Quick Reference Sheet Identifying Abstract Ideas.” Under the revised guidance, the USPTO outlined… Read more »

USPTO Guidance for Application of 35 U.S.C. § 112 to Computer-Implemented Methods, Effective January 7, 2019

January 08, 2019

On January 4, 2019, the USPTO announced guidance on the application of 35 U.S.C. § 112 to computer-implemented inventions (“Examining Computer-Implemented Functional Claim Limitations for Compliance with 35 U.S.C. § 112”), which took effect on January 7, 2019. The Guidance stated that for a computer-implemented 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) claim limitation, the specification must disclose… Read more »

Electronic Priority Document Exchange (PDX)

December 18, 2018

What is the Electronic Priority Document Exchange (PDX)? The Electronic Priority Document Exchange (PDX) is a program that provides for electronic transmission of priority documents to and from participating foreign Intellectual Property (IP) Offices. There is no fee for this service. For many foreign IP Offices, the USPTO exchanges priority documents via the Priority Document… Read more »

Federal Circuit Upholds PTAB Ruling that Tradeshow Catalog is a Printed Publication

October 22, 2018

Despite previously affirming the ITC’s decision that a dental tradeshow catalog was not publicly accessible, the Federal Circuit recently upheld the PTAB’s opposite conclusion.1 The Federal Circuit explained that it was not bound by its prior affirmance of the ITC’s judgment because it was based on a different factual record with a different burden of proof,… Read more »

USPTO Sign-In and Authentication Changes – A Quick Guide

October 02, 2018

The USPTO announced a new authentication procedure for Private PAIR and EFS-Web, beginning in October 2018, transitioning from digital PKI certificates to a single, unified USPTO.gov (also known as the “MyUSPTO”) account. Benefits of the unified MyUSPTO account include: – Eliminating shared PKI certificates and credentials – support staff will have their own accounts with… Read more »

Interference-in-Fact Decision Highlights Importance of Reasonable Expectation of Success to Find Obviousness

September 18, 2018

While the recent holding in Univ. of California v. Broad Institute, Inc.1, will certainly have long-reaching and important implications in the fight for control over CRISPR-based technology, the Federal Circuit’s opinion also provides additional confirmation that an obviousness determination must demonstrate a “reasonable expectation of success” when combining references from the prior art. The case arises… Read more »

Patent Prosecutors Beware –Catalog Distributed to “Members Only” is Indeed a Printed Publication

August 21, 2018

A catalog distributed at a members-only trade show was found to be a printed publication under 35 USC § 102(b).1 The Federal Circuit vacated and remanded a Board decision finding that an IPR challenger’s catalog distributed at a trade show was not sufficiently available to the general public to qualify as a printed publication. The Federal… Read more »

Whether Easy or Complicated, Inventorship Determination Should be a Part of the Patent Drafting Process

July 18, 2018

For many patent practitioners, drafting a patent application based on an invention disclosure is one of the skills learned during the formative years of practice. It often involves repeated discussions with inventors regarding the scope, focus and overall concept of the invention to be described. What may not be a focus, however, is a full… Read more »

USPTO Memorandum – Subject Matter Eligibilty June 7, 2018

July 03, 2018

One June 7, 2018, the USPTO issued a Memorandum1 to the Examining Corps emphasizing that method of treatment claims can satisfy 35 U.S.C. §101 under the first step of the two-part Alice/Mayo analysis without requiring a showing of nonroutine or unconventional steps. The Memorandum was prepared in light of the April 13, 2018 decision by the Federal Circuit… Read more »

Sequence Listings in International Applications

June 04, 2018

Patent applications containing nucleic acid and/or protein sequences are required to include a sequence listing, typically submitted electronically as an ASCII text file. Applicants are advised to include an electronic sequence listing at the time of filing and ensure that the sequence listing is a part of the international application. However, submission at the time… Read more »

Let's Get Started

Tel: (703) 712-8531

Address
Medler Ferro Woodhouse & Mills PLLC
8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1060
McLean, VA 22102

Phone and Fax
tel: (703) 712-8531
fax: (703) 712-8525