Question: What was Section 42.23 paragraph (b) amended to in the supplement entitled: Amendments to the Rules of Practice for Trials Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board? Answer: Section 42.23 is amended by revising paragraph (b) to read as follows: 42.23 Oppositions and replies. * * * * * (b) All arguments for the […]

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Question: What is the time limit for establishing the International Search Report and the Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority? Answer: Publication of the international application occurs at 18 months from the earliest priority date or, where there is no priority date, 18 months from the international filing date. The international search report is […]

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Question: When did the PDF titled ‘Amendments to the Rules of Practice for Trials Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’ take effect? Answer: This rule is effective May 2, 2016, and applies to all AIA petitions filed on or after the effective date and to any ongoing AIA preliminary proceeding or trial before the […]

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Question: According to the PDF titled ‘Amendments to the Rules of Practice for Trials Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’, what are sufficient grounds for a post-grant review? Answer: 37 CFR 42.208 (C) states that Post-grant review shall not be instituted for a ground of unpatentability unless the Board decides that the petition supporting […]

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Question: Can attorney arguments take the place of evidence? Answer: No, the arguments of counsel cannot take the place of evidence in the record. Examples of attorney statements which are not evidence and which must be supported by an appropriate affidavit or declaration include statements regarding unexpected results, commercial success, solution of a long-felt need, […]

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Question: According to the PDF titled ‘Amendments to the Rules of Practice for Trials Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’, what is the number of days before an oral argument for the exchange of exhibits? Answer: The number of days before an oral argument for the exchange of exhibits is at least 7 days. […]

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Question: When may an abandoned application be used as prior art? Answer: An abandoned patent application may become evidence of prior art only when it has been appropriately disclosed, as, for example, when the abandoned patent [application] is reference[d] in the disclosure of another patent, in a publication, or by voluntary disclosure under former Defensive […]

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Question: What is the executive summary of the PDF titled ‘Amendments to the Rules of Practice for Trials Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’? Answer: This final rule amends the existing consolidated set of rules relating to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) trial practice for IPR, PGR, CBM, and […]

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Question: Does a copy of an oath or declaration from a prior application need to be submitted with a continuation or divisional application, or with a continuation-in-part application filed on or after September 16, 2012 even if the oath or declaration identifies the application number of the prior application? Answer: Yes, a copy of an […]

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Question: Is it possible to file a petition to make an application special without a fee? Answer: A petition to make an application special may be filed without a fee if the basis for the petition is: (1) The applicant’s age or health; or (2) That the invention will materially: (i) Enhance the quality of […]

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