The United States Patent and Trademark Office is closed on Wednesday, December 24, and Friday, December 26 and will consider these days holidays. Accordingly, and because December 25 is a holiday, the USPTO will consider actions or fees due on Wednesday, December 24, through Friday, December 26, to be timely if taken or paid no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, December 29, which is the next business day on which the USPTO is scheduled to be open. Contact us for questions

On December 12, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued an advanced notice of change to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board Trial Practice Guide. (See PTAB issues updates to the Trial Practice Guide ). This update introduces pre-hearing conferences to the trial schedule. The Board will hold a pre-hearing conference fifteen days prior to an AIA oral hearing in cases instituted under the process implemented on October 17, 2025. In other cases, parti

On December 5, 2025, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a memorandum from Deputy Commissioner for Patents Charles Kim to the Patent Examining Corps providing advance notice of revisions to the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure  (MPEP), Ninth Edition, Revision 01.2024. These changes impact how Patent Office examiners approach patent eligibility analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 101 for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning inventions. These updates i

Whether your business is growing, preparing for funding, or preparing for sale, you need a full view of your intellectual property assets. Most businesses think they know what their intellectual property assets are. In practice, many do not. And even fewer understand the full scope of value those assets can deliver when they are identified, protected, and strategically deployed. At the surface level, IP gives you legal rights: your ability to stop infringers, defend marke

On December 5, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued an advanced notice of change to the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) (See Advance notice of change to the MPEP in light of Ex Parte Desjardins ). This update includes reference to recent precedential Appeals Review Panel decision in Ex Parte Desjardins, which addressed improvements in the functioning of a computer, or an improvement to other technology or technical field, in light of

Director John A. Squires issued two new memoranda on December 4, 2025 providing updated guidance on the use of Subject Matter Eligibility Declarations (SMEDs). These documents, effective immediately, are aimed at clarifying how examiners and applicants should use evidence to address subject matter eligibility issues, particularly in applied technologies such as artificial intelligence and medical diagnostics. For practitioners facing persistent 35 U.S.C. § 101 rejections, th

Once intellectual property rights are secured, the work is not over. Ongoing portfolio management is essential to ensure that your IP...

As your business expands into international markets, your intellectual property (IP) strategy must expand with it. U.S. patents and...

Many companies begin their IP protection journey with a provisional patent application, drawn by its lower cost and relative simplicity....

Executive Summary Early and effective intellectual property (IP) protection can make or break a growing business. Patents and IP...

Trademarks are essential for businesses to establish brand recognition, build customer loyalty, and prevent others from using similar...

Executive Summary: Patent marking on products in the marketplace maximizes potential damages in infringement lawsuits and deters...

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent examination can last at least two to three years even without significant processing delays...

The USPTO announced today that petitions for accelerated examination filed with new US utility patent applications will no longer be...

The USPTO announced suspension of expedited examination for design patent applications. The suspension is effective April 17, 2025. See...

The USPTO today announced interim processes for Inter Partes Review (IPR) and Post Grant Review (PGR) to help the Patent Trial and Appeal...

Intellectual Property (IP) is one of the most valuable assets a business can own. A business that keeps track of its patents, trademarks,...

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced today a requirement that Patent Trial and Appeal Board judges conduct PTAB hearings at...

The Biden-era U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a June 21, 2022 memorandum by former Director Kathi Vidal that offered interim...

The new U.S. Patent and Trademark Office trademark fee schedule eliminates the TEAS Plus discount for new trademark applications. The...