Patent Lodge

On December 14, 2024, the window will seemingly shut forever on the After Final Consideration Pilot Program 2.0.

As excitement concerning AI technology rages on, we have seen more reporting with respect to certain companies.

It should not come as much of a surprise that major shakeups are ahead for the U.S. Federal Government, with President-Elect Donald Trump voted back into office and starting his second term in January 2025. But will this involve the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office?

Ever hear the saying, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade?” When the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office renders a Final Office Action, or in this analogy, a “lemon,” some practitioners believe responding with a written response and Request for Continued Examination is an automatic course of action. However, why not try and turn the setback into a step forward?

As part of the overall dynamic involved in pursuing U.S. patents and trademarks, an adversarial undercurrent can often materialize between applicant and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It is no surprise that the intensity of that undercurrent can be a function of the total time/expense before a patent is granted or a trademark is registered. And, if grant/registration is ultimately not achieved, what once was adversarial can be later viewed as unfairly subjective.

On October 30, 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order regarding AI to start establishing standards for its protections and regulation. Among other areas of focus, the executive order called on the USPTO to review and provide guidance on AI as it relates to well-established principles concerning inventorship and patentability.

We are pleased to introduce our colleague and partner, Steve Helland. Steve has long provided guidance to clients in legal matters involving information technology, Internet, software, new media and advertising. Steve chairs Fredrikson’s Tech & Data legal group, which further advises on legal issues relating to data privacy, cybersecurity, technology and intellectual property issues.

According to latest trending data, per technopedia.com, the U.S. is the nation most aggressively funding AI technology, with $249 billion dedicated in private funding.

A recent court decision from the Northern District of California may significantly impact a common strategy, long accepted and practiced among patent holders.

You may not know it, but November 8, 2023, marked a significant end date for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

If your client’s invention is focused on, or relates to, achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is in your corner, now more than ever. On June 6, 2023, the USPTO expanded the eligibility requirements of the Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program to apply to a greater breadth of technologies.

In April 2023, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) announced proposed changes to some of the fees that it charges with respect to patent applications, design patents and America Invents Act trials.

We would like to introduce you to Patent Lodge.

As of December 29, 2022, the USPTO reduced the fees relating to patents matters for small and micro-entities.

For the last decade, the After Final Consideration Pilot Program 2.0 (AFCP) has been an option for U.S. patent applicants to use when their applications receive a Final Office Action.