Posts Tagged: "Technology Center"

A Look Inside Patent Processes at the USPTO: Effects of the Pandemic and Upcoming Changes

On Thursday, July 30, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Commissioner for Patents Drew Hirshfeld and other USPTO staff updated attendees of IPWatchdog and LexisNexis’ webinar, “A Conversation with the Commissioner: A Look Inside Patent Processes at the USPTO,” on issues such as staffing, reopening plans, and upcoming new processes for routing patent applications.

Avoid the Patent Pit of Despair: Drafting Claims Away from TC 3600

I’ve recently hosted two webinars on patent classification, taking a look at how contractors for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) determine where to route each patent application within the Office after filing. One webinar dealt with classification generally and a second dealt specifically with classification relating to computer implemented inventions. These webinars were fascinating on many levels. Did you know that the old patent classification system plays an important role in determining which Art Unit is assigned an application? And you probably thought you could forget about class 705! Not so fast! A sparsely populated technical disclosure in the specification with an inartful claim set is still a recipe for characterization in class 705, which still must be avoided at all costs if possible.

Top Ten Law Firms in Technology Center 2400

Technology Center 2400 covers the technologies of computer networks, multiplex communication, video distribution, and cybersecurity. In terms of average time to allowance, it is the slowest-moving technology center, with most applications waiting approximately 3.5 years before allowance. When it comes to average allowance rate, TC 2400 is lower than the USPTO at large, at 62% and 71%, respectively. As the home of art units concerning cryptography and cybersecurity, many of the patent applications in TC 2400 are on the front line of the fight against cyber crime, an increasingly large and growing problem in the United States. This is a ranking of the top 10 most successful firms at obtaining patents in TC 2400.

Are Business Method Patents Dead? It Depends on Who’s Applying for Them

Business method patents are still being granted after Alice, but are being granted at lower rates than before, and some assignees are better at obtaining them than others. The top assignees in the business methods art units have a wide range of allowance rates, from Oracle at 83.3% to Siemens at 35.3%, resulting in a difference of 48 percentage points. Even among the most successful assignees, only three have allowance rates of over 50%.