USPTO - Public Hearings on Proposed Attributable Ownership Rules

The USPTO will hold public hearings to get input on the proposed attributable ownership rules on March 13 and 26, 2014. The USPTO is apparently addressing the criticism regarding the lack of public input and the likely impact of these proposed rules. Losing a valid patent due to someone missing a change in ownership is draconian even if you have the right to petition against that result. It will be interesting to see if the USPTO modifies the rules in response as they appear likely to raise patent prosecution costs and may result in loss of patent rights for what will be in many cases an inadvertent mistake.

Here's the USPTO notice:

"The public is invited to attend the hearings in person or via Webcast. Additionally, the public is invited to give testimony in person at the hearings and/or to submit written comments about the proposed rules. The deadline for requesting to give testimony has been extended to Wednesday, March 12, 2014, and the deadline for submitting written comments has been extended until Thursday, April 24, 2014.

The attributable ownership proposed rules require that the attributable owner, including the ultimate parent entity, be identified during the pendency of a patent application and at specified times during the life of a patent. More details about the attributable ownership proposed rules are available here:

Hearing Thursday, March 13, 2014, from 1 to 4 p.m. (ET)

USPTO Madison Auditorium North, Concourse Level

Madison Building

600 Dulany Street

Alexandria, VA 22314

Webcast Access Information:

Event number: 990 499 952

Event password: 12345"

Event address for attendees:

https://uspto-events.webex.com/uspto-events/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=990499952

Hearing Wednesday, March 26, 2014, from 9 a.m. until noon (PT)

UC Hastings College of the Law

Louis B. Mayer Lounge

198 McAllister Street

San Francisco, CA 94102

LiveStream Access Information:

https://new.livestream.com/uspto/usptopublichearing

Draft agendas are available here:

Alexandria: http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/ao_agenda_alexandria_3-13-2014.pdf
San Francisco: http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/ao_agenda_san_francisco_3-26-2014.pdf"

Copyright © 2014 Robert Moll. All rights reserved.