America Invents Act USPTO Roadshow

I’ve posted several times about the America Invents Act, which was passed last September by Congress. Soon, you can attend a discussion forum with USPTO officials about the rules the Office has proposed to implement the legislation. Although the attendees may be mostly patent attorneys and other legal professionals, I think it is commendable that… Continue reading America Invents Act USPTO Roadshow

New and Old Section 103

35 U.S.C. § 103 deals with the non-obviousness requirement for patentability. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the current Section 103 of Title 35 with the new version from the America Invents Act: Old Section 103 New Section 103 35 U.S.C. 103 Conditions for patentability; non-obvious subject matter. (a) A patent may not be obtained… Continue reading New and Old Section 103

Major Changes Coming to the U.S. Patent System

Last Friday, September 16, 2011, President Obama signed the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (available here) into law. The America Invents Act makes significant changes to the U.S. patent system. Among other things, the America Invents Act: changes the patent system from a first-to-invent to first-to-file regime eliminates the year-long grace period following public disclosure What… Continue reading Major Changes Coming to the U.S. Patent System