PTAB Appointments clause

Legislative Fix Enacted for Trademarks

On March 1st, the Supreme Court will hear its fifth PTAB related case in United States v. Arthrex Inc.  At issue in this latest dispute is whether, for purposes of the Constitution’s appointments clause, administrative patent judges of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are principal officers who must be appointed by the president with the Senate’s advice and consent, or “inferior Officers” whose appointment Congress has permissibly vested in a department head. While this may sound like a boring legal debate for administrative law nerds (and it kinda is), there are some real world consequences for us super cool PTAB practitioners.

But, as made clear by a recent change to the Trademark statutes in the Trademark Monetization Act (TMA), it all may end in a fizzle for PTAB practitioners.
Continue Reading Legislative Cure Provided for Potential Arthrex Deficiency