USPTO Monthly Review -- June 2018

The USPTO’s mission is a critical one. It is directed toward fostering innovation and economic growth by providing innovators and entrepreneurs with the protection and information they need to raise capital, build their businesses and bring their products and services to the marketplace. While I have only been on this job for a few months, I know that with the dedication and professionalism I have already seen from the employees, we can lead the Office in a culture of excellence that serves the interests of all of its constituents and the public at large.

To learn more, read the remarks from USPTO Director Andrei Iancu.

I’m also very proud of the fact that the agency I’m privileged to lead—the United States Patent and Trademark Office—has a robust Veteran Hiring Program. Each day I see these men and women bring to their work at the USPTO the same spirit of selfless service and love of country that led them to serve in uniform. Veteran or not, all of our employees understand the importance of innovative technologies, and we all have a strong interest in, first, making sure our nation continues to be a world leader in innovation, and, second, ensuring that our nation’s military continues to benefit from that competitive edge.

To learn more, read the remarks from USPTO Director Andrei Iancu.

The Durango Public Library will be the second PTRC in the State of Colorado. It will serve residents in southwestern Colorado and northern New Mexico. The Durango Public Library is in the Four Corners region of Colorado, which includes the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Nations. The library will support entrepreneurs throughout the region seeking patent and trademark protection for their intellectual property. USPTO-trained librarians will assist patrons using the agency’s patent and trademark databases.

To learn more, read the press release.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced the recipients of the 2017 Patent Pro Bono Achievement Certificate in recognition of individuals who help make the Patent Pro Bono Program available to financially under-resourced inventors and small businesses.

In 2017 more than 85 volunteer patent practitioners reported 50 or more hours of patent pro bono service to a regional patent pro bono program. To acknowledge their contributions, USPTO provided certificates and listed their names and employers on the Patent Pro Bono section of the USPTO website.

To learn more, read the press release.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking nominations to fill upcoming vacancies for the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) and the Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC). Nominations must be postmarked or electronically transmitted on or before July 6, 2018. Submission details can be found in the Federal Register Notice.

The committees were created in 1999 through Patent and Trademark Office Efficiency Act to advise the Secretary of Commerce, as well as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO on the management of patent and trademark operations including goals, performance, budget, and user fees. Each committee has nine voting members who are appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Secretary of Commerce. Each member serves a three-year term.

To learn more, read the press release.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that NBA All-Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will deliver the keynote address at the opening ceremony for the 2018 National Trademark Expo at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. on Friday, July 27 at 12:15 p.m. The two-day event helps support the mission of the USPTO and that of its collaborator, the museum’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, by educating the public about the history and value of trademarks in addition to their importance in the global marketplace through engaging seminars, children’s activities, displays of authentic and counterfeit goods, as well as numerous exhibits featuring registered trademarks.

To learn more, read the press release.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office announced its proposed rulemaking to change the prior policy of using the Broadest Reasonable Interpretation standard for construing unexpired and proposed amended patent claims in Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings under the America Invents Act. The proposed new standard is the same as the standard applied in Article III courts and International Trade Commission (ITC) proceedings.

To learn more, read the press release.

Innovation is alive and well in 2018. How do I know? On May 3, I had the honor of helping induct 15 of America’s greatest innovators into the 46th class of the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF).

The historic National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., echoing with memories of America’s greatest thought and political leaders, was a fitting backdrop for the momentous event. The personal stories of these visionary men and women encouraged everyone present to keep dreaming of a better tomorrow.

Read the blog by Director Andrei Iancu.

On May 8, Deputy Commissioner for Patent Quality Valencia Martin Wallace held the fifth Patent Quality Chat in the 2018 webinar series titled “Subject Matter Eligibility: Revised Guidance in view of Berkheimer v. HP, Inc.”

The USPTO’s Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy Bob Bahr discussed the USPTO’s recently-issued memorandum implementing changes to examination procedure in view of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decision in Berkheimer v. HP, Inc. This judicial decision provides clarification on the subject matter eligibility analysis, and particularly on the inquiry into whether an additional element (or combination of additional elements) represents well-understood, routine, conventional activity. In response to Berkheimer, the USPTO has revised its examination procedure to require examiners to base their conclusions that additional elements represent well-understood, routine, conventional activity on factual determinations. 

Patent Quality Chat is a monthly, lunchtime webinar series designed to provide information on patent quality topics and to gather public input.

To learn more about the May Patent Quality Chat, watch the archived event stream or view the presentation slides. 

The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF), in partnership with the USPTO, honored and celebrated the world’s foremost inventors and their contributions to society at the annual induction ceremony on May 3 at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.

The 2018 inductees are visionary innovators who each patented inventions that revolutionized their industries and changed people’s lives. Of the fifteen new inductees, five were honored posthumously.

NIHF was established in 1973 by the USPTO and honors monumental achievements by individuals who have contributed great technological and scientific innovations, as well as helped stimulate growth for our nation and beyond. The criteria for induction into NIHF requires candidates to hold a U.S. patent that has contributed significantly to the nation's welfare, and the advancement of science and the useful arts. The inductees are honored at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum located in the Madison Building on the USPTO campus in Alexandria, Virginia.

To learn more about the 2018 inductees visit the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

On May 3, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC), held the quarterly meeting at USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. The PPAC reviews the policies, goals, performance, budget, and user fees of patent operations and advises the director on these matters.

To learn more about the PPAC Quarterly Meeting, watch the archived event stream or view the presentation slides. 

A night to celebrate the U.S. intellectual property system
Tom Temin, Federal News Radio 

Taking a look at the Inventors Hall of Fame
WUSA 9 

Inventors Honored in Hall of Fame Special Ceremony
Voice of America 

An Exclusive Interview with USPTO Director Andrei Iancu
Gene Quinn, IP Watchdog

Iancu Urges Congress to Extend Patent Office Fee-Setting Power
Malathi Nayak, BloombergBNA

USPTO Director Andrei Iancu Takes a Look at Early Prosecution
JD Supra

Trademark Office Looks to Eliminate Paper Filings
Anandashankar Mazumdar, Bloomberg Law

Remember how Play-Doh smells? U.S. trademark officials get it
Rachel Siegel, Washington Post