The USPTO announces two public hearings in March 2014 to receive feedback about proposed rules concerning the ownership of patents and applications (aka “attributable ownership proposed rules”). 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: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-01-24/pdf/2014-01195.pdf
Hearing Logistics:
- 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: CLICK HERE
- Wednesday, March 26, 2014, from 9 a.m. until noon (PT)
U.C. Hastings College of the Law
Louis B. Mayer Lounge
198 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
LiveStream Access Information:
Draft agendas are available here:
Join the Discussion
4 comments so far.
M Carey
March 12, 2014 07:31 pmI know. It’s like no one cares or everyone is afraid to say anything when
constitutional rights are being trampled on, including the USPTO in recent
years. Maybe they will explain themselves in this meeting.
Steve
March 5, 2014 07:25 pmWhat’s surprising to me is the dearth of comments by attorneys, law firms, and their various professional associations … as well as my fellow independent inventors.
Come on folks — if you care about things like these onerous (and yes illegal) proposed rules, it’s time to make your voices heard.
EG
March 5, 2014 03:35 pm“This rule package seems like it can be a nightmare for many practitioners and some applicants”
PL,
It’s more than that. Like the continuation-claim rules in Tafas, the USPTO has absolutely no authority under the patent statutes to enact his proposed rule package, including 35 USC 261 (the assignment statute).
patent leather
March 5, 2014 03:30 pmThis rule package seems like it can be a nightmare for many practitioners and some applicants as well. See Rick Neifeld’s comments here: http://www.uspto.gov/patents/law/comments/ao-d_neifeld-20140130.pdf , and Carl Oppedahl also filed some outstanding comments visible here: http://www.oppedahl.com/temp/20140302b-attributable-comments.pdf
My gut is that the USPTO will actually read and consider the comments to a controversial rule package this time around. While their intent is good, the benefits clearly do not outweigh the burderns. The rules should be tabled in their current form.