Generally, all oral hearings are recorded by court reporters. Mailing and posting of the transcript to Patent Center (or Patent Trial and Appeal Case Tracking System (P-TACTS) for AIA proceedings) usually occurs around 2 to 3 weeks after the hearing. The Board does not accept requests to expedite transcripts. The Board does not provide to the parties or the public the name of the court reporter agency that is being used for the oral hearing. Parties that wish to create their own unofficial transcripts are reminded of the following:
- No electronic or mechanical recording equipment may be brought into the hearing room. Persons wishing to create such transcripts are permitted, subject to space limitations, to bring an amanuensis to create a transcription with pen and paper - not on a laptop.
- Such unofficial transcripts are strictly for the party's personal use. The Board will not entertain any arguments relating to alleged differences between the unofficial transcript and the official transcript.
While not mandatory, the creation of transcripts may be expedited if parties provide the court reporters, at the outset of the hearing, with a written list of any difficult-to-spell technical terms that are likely to be discussed.