Please welcome Andrew Baluch as a new contributing author for PharmaPatentsBlog!
There is a lot to like about the USPTO’s proposed rules for the new patent trial proceedings that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) will conduct under the America Invents Act (AIA). On the whole, the proposed rules released last month appear to be sound, well-written, and based largely on the “Standing Order” governing current Interference proceedings. The team of administrative judges that drafted the proposals should be commended for their work.
But, as with any project of this size, there is bound to be some oversight and possible overreach. After studying the seven Federal Register notices spanning 133 pages that comprise the post-grant rules packages, I particularly was struck by three specific proposed rules. As explained below, these three proposed rules appear to be unnecessary, unsupported by the law, and should be dropped. The USPTO would be doing everyone a favor, including itself, if it simply omits the following from its final rules.Continue reading this entry
