Posts in Patent Bar Exam

USPTO Moves Ahead with Changes to Patent Bar Registration

Following a Request for Comments in March 2021, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) yesterday published a Federal Register Notice updating the General Requirements Bulletin (GRB) for admission to the registration exam to practice in patent cases before the Office. The Notice indicates that the USPTO considered all comments and based on the “overwhelming” support for the proposals is moving forward with implementing the changes. The Notice says the Office received 32 comments in response to the March request for comments.

Solutions for Promoting Patent Practitioner Diversity at the USPTO in the Battle Against Systemic Racism

A critical battle against systemic racism currently engages the United States. Patent practitioners across the country—from the University of Minnesota Law School (a mere 2.5 miles from the location of the killing of George Floyd) to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia (another 1,000 miles away)—must cast a critical eye towards our profession to identify systemic barriers in the patent field.

USPTO’s Drew Hirshfeld on Proposed Changes to Requirements for Patent Bar Registration: It ‘Just Makes Sense’

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) earlier today published a Request for Comments in the Federal Register asking for public input into proposed changes to the General Requirements Bulletin for Admission to the Examination for Registration to Practice in Patent Cases Before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (GRB). The Office is considering changing the criteria applicable in ways that would streamline the process for both applicants and the Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED), the office within the USPTO tasked with administering the Patent Bar Exam and implementing the rules pertaining to admission to practice before the Office.

Time to ‘Think PCT’: Rethink Your Global Patent Strategy to Preserve Your Seat at the Table

Greetings; John White here. It is time for you to “Think PCT” [Patent Cooperation Treaty] anew. If the last thing you remember hearing me say about the PCT was some pneumonic about how to ensure an International Filing Date (English Applicant Requests Priority Designation!), or how to calculate an old Section 102(e) date under the FOoT/DUSE  (Fee Oath Translation/ Designate United States (publish in) English) Rule for the Patent Bar Exam: good, you still remember it! You’ve put off senility a little further by keeping these things circulating in your steel-trap like brain! (Sadly, my voice is probably still rattling around in there as well, I suppose. Sorry about that…) But, let’s move on; it is now time to really understand the use and implementation of a PCT strategy in the modern era. The world is changing rapidly!

USPTO to Update Patent Bar Exam in August 2018

“This is a mere change in form, not substance,” according to John White, principle lecturer in the PLI patent bar review course. “The PTO will start testing the current version of the MPEP, and stop testing the miscellaneous memos and the like that are currently tested. But all of those memos have now been incorporated into the new MPEP, so there’s no change of substance. Just a change in citations.”

Reflections of the Patent Bar Exam

Recently I took and passed, on my second attempt, the United States Patent & Trademark Office Registration (bar) Exam. It is a daunting experience but manageable with some occasional misery in the mix. The exam is offered once a year in Virginia on paper otherwise you schedule your own computer exam at a Prometric testing site. The total time needed to prepare for the exam is about 150 hours of solid study/course time. It is a hundred questions divided into two three-hour sessions with an hour break.