Tag: USPTO

Publication of Patent Applications

Title 35, Section 122 of the U.S. Code mandates that every patent application be published “promptly” after 18 months have passed after the filing date (if the application is still pending at that time–that is, it hasn’t issued as a patent nor been abandoned). The publication of pending patent applications in the U.S. is a… Continue reading Publication of Patent Applications

Patent Searching Through the US Patent Classification System

During my time as a patent professional, I have been able to gain a fair amount of experience conducting patent searches. Although searching through the USPTO database for a specific disclosure can be more of an art than science, I have come up with a relatively easy method that takes advantage of the USPTO’s patent… Continue reading Patent Searching Through the US Patent Classification System

How to Accelerate Examination of your Patent Application

The United States Patent Office prioritizes certain application types. The USPTO’s priorities are manifest in its “Petition to Make Special” program, which will be described in this post. The Petition to Make Special is a program that allows patent applicants to get special status and skip ahead of other applications waiting in line–the result being… Continue reading How to Accelerate Examination of your Patent Application

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

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Backlog Prediction Model

A couple of years ago, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released its Patent Pendency Model (PPM) Simulation Tool, a spreadsheet that outputs the predicted total number of unexamined patent applications in inventory at the end of each fiscal year and the predicted ratio of first actions compared to filings (a number which shows if/how… Continue reading The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Backlog Prediction Model

Small Business Innovation Research Pilot Program

The US Patent and Trademark Office recently announced a new pilot program it is sponsoring with the National Science Foundation. Through this pilot program, the USPTO provides educational services and its IP Awareness Assessment tool. The pilot program will “provide additional services” in the future. The pilot program is available to awardees of the Small… Continue reading Small Business Innovation Research Pilot Program

Fourth Quarter FY 2011 Trademark Data

The USPTO’s Trademark Dashboard for Quarter Four of the 2011 fiscal year (ending September 30, 2011) is up. Similar to the Patent Dashboard, the Trademark Dashboard displays the vital statistics of the trademark examination side of the USPTO, such as pendency, number of applications processed, and quality scores. The USPTO does not have the backlog… Continue reading Fourth Quarter FY 2011 Trademark Data

Inventors Symposium

The United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Smithsonian American Art Museum are co-sponsoring a symposium targeted at independent inventors and small business entrepreneurs next week on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28. If you are the target audience and will be near Washington, D.C., you may be interested in attending. The symposium… Continue reading Inventors Symposium