Upcoming CLE, Director Change & New Rules

The chatter around the USPTO’s Alexandria campus is the ongoing efforts of the Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, to select a new USPTO Director. With interviews progressing, some of the bigger names have seemingly fallen out of the picture.  The focus appears to have shifted to attorneys in private practice. Current favorites include a patent litigation partner in DC, the other a patent prosecution focused partner from the West Coast.
Stay tuned.

As noted previously, the PTAB is soliciting comments from the public on possible AIA trial refinements. Comments are specifically welcomed addressing procedures relating to multiple petitions, motions to amend, claim construction, and decisions to institute. In concert, the agency is also seeking input on outdated rules it might eliminate to satisfy the 2-for-1 requirements of the Trump administration. It seems that once the AIA feedback is collected, and some rules are identified for cancellation, the PTAB will be in a position to move toward a rule package – or issue the long-awaited updating of the PTAB Trial Practice Guide.

For those seeking some PTAB related discussion/CLE in the months ahead, there are a few noteworthy programs.

May 10th-11th: American Conference Institute presents its Third Annual Post-Grant PTO Proceedings in New York City (here). This two-day event will cover a variety of AIA Trial Proceeding topics. The second day will include a three-hour workshop entitled Parallel Proceedings: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. 

May 16, 2017: MIP PTAB Forum 2017 will be held in New York City. (here)  This is a full-day forum on PTAB trial practices.

I hope to see you at one of these upcoming events.