Jan 30, 2012 09:32AM

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Jan 30, 2012 09:32AM

Akoo International CEO Niko Drakoulis Named to the University of Illinois Entrpreneurship Hall of Fame

has transformed his vision into an interactive technology that has been recognized for its innovative nature and awarded patents in major global markets, including the United States, China, and Japan. The interactive technology first envisioned by

Jan 30, 2012 08:52AM

Google ratchets up VP8 video quality--but so do video rivals

backgrounds. Google hopes VP8 will free the Web from patent-encumbered video, but the group building HEVC explicitly permits patents (PDF). And, some members, such as Microsoft and the Frauenhofer Institute, have a strong interest in royalty revenue.

Jan 30, 2012 08:17AM

Hansen IP Law PLLC Announces the Launch of "The Business of Patents" Blog

Hansen IP Law PLLC announced that it recently launched a new blog entitled "The Business of Patents." "The purpose of the blog is to communicate about patent issues in a client-centered way," said firm owner Steve Hansen. "In our experience, the clients

Jan 30, 2012 08:12AM

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Makes Huge Patent Investment

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has agreed to purchase patents from RealNetworks for $120 million. Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), the world?s largest chip maker, said that it has reached an agreement with RealNetworks to acquire nearly 190 patents and 170

Sep 24, 2007 07:52PM

United States and Swedish Patent Offices to Cooperate on International Search and Examination Services (17Sep2007)

United States and Swedish Patent Offices to Cooperate on International Search and Examination Services (17Sep2007)

United States and Swedish Patent Offices to Cooperate on International Search and Examination Services
Trial project part of USPTO efforts to reduce U.S. national patent application backlogs

The Commerce Department’s U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Swedish Patent and Registration Office (PRV) announced today that they have begun a pilot project to test the feasibility of the PRV performing search and examination services for the USPTO on international applications filed with the USPTO under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

The pilot is part of ongoing USPTO efforts to bring down the growing backlog of U.S. national patent applications waiting to be examined.

Each year, the USPTO receives over 50,000 PCT international applications in addition to over 400,000 national applications. The USPTO is testing whether, by having international applications processed elsewhere, it can dedicate more resources to examining the approximately 750,000 national applications currently in the pipeline, with the goal of increasing productivity and enhancing quality.

Under the terms of the pilot project, the PRV will process 50 PCT Chapter I applications covering a range of technologies. The USPTO will review the PRV’s work to ensure that it meets USPTO standards for quality and accuracy.

“We look forward to working with our Swedish colleagues to achieve our mutual goals of expediting review of patent applications while maintaining high quality examination” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Jon Dudas. “Taking advantage of work completed by another office allows the USPTO to focus more of its resources on decreasing the time it now takes between the filing of an application and a final examiner decision.”

“The PRV is a competent PCT Authority since the start of the PCT system in 1978 and we have a long experience of patent search and examination” said Lars Björklund, acting Director General of the PRV. “We look forward to cooperating with the USPTO and thereby also taking responsibility to support and maintain the functionality of the PCT system.”

The PCT is an international agreement that simplifies the filing of patent applications in its 135 member states. A PCT application may be used as a national application for a patent in any of the designated PCT countries. International applicants request PCT search and examination reports to help them determine if an application meets basic patent criteria before committing to the high cost of translating and filing an application in one or more PCT countries. The USPTO and the PRV are among the national patent offices authorized to conduct PCT searches and examinations.

Sep 09, 2007 02:18PM

USPTO and United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office to Pilot Patent Prosecution Highway (04Sep2007)

USPTO and United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office to Pilot Patent Prosecution Highway  (04Sep2007)

September 4, 2007

USPTO and United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office to Pilot Patent Prosecution Highway
Fast-track examination trial program will enhance quality and efficiency

The Commerce Department's U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) today announced that they are now accepting applications for participation in a pilot Patent Prosecution Highway project established between the two offices. The Patent Prosecution Highway will leverage fast-track patent examination in both offices to allow applicants in both countries to obtain corresponding patents faster and more efficiently. It also will permit each office to benefit from work previously done by the other office, in turn reducing examination workload and improving patent quality.

"Patent offices worldwide must increase the depth and effectiveness of their cooperation. Our collective goal is to reduce duplication of work, speed up processing, and improve quality," said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Jon Dudas. "This pilot project with the UK IPO builds on our work with the Japan Patent Office, and contributes to a more rational international patent system."

"The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office builds on a similar pilot scheme with the Japan Patent Office which is already showing great promise," said Chief Executive of the UK Intellectual Property Office Ian Fletcher. "The UK Intellectual Property Office has high standards in efficiency and quality as reflected in our ISO 9001:2000 accreditation, and the PPH agreement with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will make a contribution to raising these standards further. I am especially pleased that the improved efficiency and quality expected to arise from this PPH agreement is a direct result of the strong relations that exist between the UK Intellectual Property Office and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The PPH helps both offices in their goal of stimulating and rewarding invention and innovation and is a further step towards a global patent prosecution highway network," Fletcher continued.

Under the Patent Prosecution Highway, an applicant receiving a ruling from either the UK IPO or the USPTO that at least one claim in an application is patentable may request that the other office fast track the examination of corresponding claims in corresponding applications. Full requirements for participation in the trial program at the USPTO can be found at www.uspto.gov/web/patents/pph/pph_ukipo.html.

The purpose of the trial program is to gauge the interest of applicants and determine if the program improves quality and efficiency and reduces the workload at the USPTO and the UK IPO. The trial period is set to expire September 4, 2008, but may be extended for up to one year or terminated earlier depending on volume of activity and other factors. Both offices will provide notice of any adjustment in the trial period.

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Sep 09, 2007 02:15PM

Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office [signed 30 August] [PDF] (04Sep2007)

Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office [signed 30 August] [PDF] (04Sep2007)

View comments at the following url:

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/pph_ukipo.pdf

Jul 28, 2007 02:14PM

Claims and Continuations Final Rules to Publish in Late Summer (25Jul2007)

Claims and Continuations Final Rules to Publish in Late Summer  (25Jul2007)

On July 9, 2007, OMB concluded its review of the Continuations and Claims rule changes. The final rules will be made public when they are published in the Federal Register, which is expected to be later this summer. The rules will become effective at least 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, and no earlier than October 1, 2007.

The abstracts of the rules currently available on the Federal Regulatory Information Web site (http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoViewRule?ruleID=273406 and http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoViewRule?ruleID=273407) reflect the abstracts of the Continuations and Claims notices of proposed rule-making that were published in January, 2006.

Jul 28, 2007 02:11PM

Draft KSR Training Guidelines Under OMB Review (20Jul2007)

Draft KSR Training Guidelines Under OMB Review  (20Jul2007)

The USPTO has sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review draft final guidance for use by patent examiners in determining if an invention is obvious in view of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in KSR v Teleflex.

The USPTO will post the final guidance document on its website after OMB concludes its review. In the interim, the agency will begin training for examiners on implementation of KSR.