Patent Subject Matter Eligibility: Roundtable 1 - Webcast

The Silicon Valley USPTO will participate in the webcast of the USPTO Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Roundtable 1, broadcast from its headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, at 10 AM to 2 PM (PT) on Monday, November 14, 2016.

Over the past six years, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued a series of decisions -- Bilski(link is external), Mayo(link is external), Myriad(link is external), and Alice -- that have significantly impacted patent eligibility law and continue to generate substantial public debate.  The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking input from the public on patent subject-matter eligibility through two roundtables:

  • Roundtable 1 - Monday, November 14 in Alexandria, Virginia
    This first roundtable will focus on soliciting stakeholder views on ways of improving the USPTO’s subject-matter eligibility guidance for patent examiners and how that guidance is being applied by examiners. 
  • Roundtable 2 - Monday, December 5 in Stanford, California
    The second roundtable will focus on receiving feedback regarding larger questions concerning the legal contours of eligible subject matter in the U.S. patent system.  For more information about Roundtable 2 at Stanford University, including registration instructions, please visit here.
Additional details about the roundtables are in a Federal Register Notice(link is external) published October 17, 2016.
 
Registration:  Registration is free and on a first-come, first-served basis.  Registrants may attend the roundtable in person in Alexandria, Virginia, or participate via webcast at one of the four USPTO regional offices. Register to attend Roundtable 1(link is external).
 
Request to Speak:  Those wishing to speak at the roundtable must submit an online registration no later than October 26, 2016.  Please indicate in the registration your interest in speaking at the event. Register to speak at Roundtable 1(link is external).
 

Written comments will be accepted on an ongoing basis. All comments should be sent to 2014_interim_guidance@uspto.gov(link sends e-mail).

Webcast:  The roundtable will be available for viewing via live webcast.

Agenda:  Agenda for Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Roundtable 1 (PT) (updated November 10, 2016)

Background Information:
35 U.S.C. § 101 defines inventions eligible for patenting as “any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.” These classes of patent eligible subject matter have been narrowed by court opinions, which state that laws of nature, natural phenomena, and abstract ideas are not eligible for patenting.For non-press inquiries, please contact Elizabeth Shaw 571-272-9300, or e-mail elizabeth.shaw2@uspto.gov(link sends e-mail).

  Helpful  
  Not Helpful  

The USPTO is currently improving our content to better serve you. Can you describe the problem?
 Share
 Print