Hearings

An appellant in an ex parte appeal and the parties in an AIA trial may request an oral hearing to explain their position before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). An oral hearing gives the Board an opportunity to ask questions of the parties to aid the Board in deciding the case. An oral hearing may be held in a courtroom with a court reporter present to prepare a transcript of the proceeding.

Hearing schedule

To listen in on any particular oral hearing, please make a request via email to PTABHearings@uspto.gov at least three business days prior to the oral hearing date. Please include any requests for accommodations for individuals with disabilities, including captioning. The Board will respond to the request, and provide any connection information. Transcripts for each oral hearing will subsequently be entered into the record of the relevant proceeding, and be publicly available in P-TACTS for AIA Trials or in Public Pair for appeals, unless an exception applies.

NOTE: Due to last minute cancellations or no shows, there are no guarantees that a hearing on a particular proceeding will occur, although it may be posted.

* PTAB March 2023 Hearing Schedule [PDF]

* PTAB April 2023 Hearing Schedule [PDF]

Hearing guidance