Source: http://www.cotmanip.com/blog/2011/09/
Timestamp: 2013-06-20 00:32:02
Document Index: 364142378

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 102', '§ 273', '§ 301', '§ 306', '§ 102', '§ 112', '§ 282', '§ 122']

September « 2011 « A Blog on How to Avoid Intellectual Property (IP) Pitfalls
American Invents Acts Timeline 2011-2012
Source: http://www.uspto.gov/aia_implementation/index.jsp
Summary of Key Provisions of America Invents Act
35 U.S.C. § 102 modified to grant a patent to the first-inventor-tofilean application. It - Precludes patenting of an invention that was disclosedbefore the effective filing date of an application claiming the
invention as a result of it having been:
- patented, described in a printed publication or used, sold,
or otherwise made it available to the public, or
- described in a patent or in a published application by
another inventor that was effectively filed before the effective filing
date of the application claiming the invention.
Retains a one-year grace period for any otherwise patentdefeating
disclosure, that was made one year or less before the
effective filing date of the application claiming the invention, by the
inventor or by someone who obtained the invention from the
Enhances the one-year grace period by providing that only
the inventor who first discloses the invention can later obtain a
patent on it.
Eliminates the geographical limitation in current law that
allows foreign inventors to obtain patents in the U.S. that were
publicly known or used in their countries but not in the U.S.
Eliminates the possibility that a secret use of an invention or
a mere offer for sale that does not publicly disclose an invention by
an inventor can be used to prevent the inventor from obtaining a
Enlarges the protections in current law that eliminate the
earlier patent filings of coworkers and other collaborators as patentdefeatingdisclosures to a later-sought patent by an inventor.
- 35 U.S.C. § 273 amended to extend the right to assert a PURdefense to any entity that controls, is controlled by, or is undercommon control with a person or entity that performed or causedthe performance of the acts necessary to establish the defense.
-Requires the Director to compare and report on the operation of
PURs in patent laws in the United States and the laws of other
countries, including members of the EU and Japan, Canada, and
- 35 U.S.C. § 301 amended to: Permit submission of written statements of the patentowner filed in a Federal court or the PTO expressing a position onthe scope of any claim of a patent in any post-grant proceeding.
Upon request, exclude from the patent file and keep
confidential the identity of any person citing prior art or written
- 35 U.S.C. § 306 amended to remove review by civil action in
Amends Chapter 31 by replacing “Optional Inter PartesReexamination Procedures” with “Inter Partes Review” (IPR). Filing permitted 9 months after grant or after any PGRinitiated has been terminated.
Only on basis of §§ 102 or 103 and only on the basis of prior
art patents or printed publications.
Threshold: reasonable likelihood that petitioner would prevail
with respect to at least 1 challenged claim.
IPR may not be instituted or maintained if petitioner/real
party in interest has filed a civil action challenging the validity of a
claim, or instituted if filed more than 6 months after the date on
which the petitioner/real party in interest is served with a complaint.
PTAB to conduct each IPR.
- Final decision of validity in IPR precludes IPR
petitioner/real party in interest from requesting any proceeding
before the Office on the basis of any grounds that the party raised
or reasonably could have raised during the PGR.
petitioner/real party in interest from asserting invalidity in a civil
action or ITC proceeding on the basis of any grounds the party
raised during or reasonably could have raised during the IPR.
Final determination in 1 year (18 months upon showing of
- Establishes a new Chapter 32 post-grant review proceeding(PGR) in which cancellation of a patent may be sought on anyground of invalidity within 9 months after the patent is issued. Scope: any ground that could be raised under paragraph
(2) or (3) of section 282(b) (relating to invalidity.
Real parties in interest must be identified.
- petition presents information that, if not rebutted, would
demonstrate it more likely than not that at least 1 challenged claim
is unpatentable, or
- petition raises a novel or unsettled legal question
important to other patents.
PGR may not be instituted or maintained if real party in
interest has filed a civil action challenging the validity of a claim.
A court may not stay consideration of motion for preliminary
injunction on the basis that a PGR has been requested or instituted
if an infringement action is filed within 3 months of patent grant.
Patentee may propose a reasonable number of substitute
claims for each challenged claim.
Burden of proof on petitioner is by a preponderance of
PGR to conclude in 1 year (18 months for good cause).
- Final decision of validity in PGR precludes PGR
- Final decision of validity precludes PGR petitioner/real
party in interest from asserting invalidity in a civil action or ITC
proceeding on the basis of any grounds the party raised during
Adds a new section 257 permitting a patent owner to request a“supplemental examination” of a patent to consider or correctinformation believed to be relevant to the patent. A patent emergingfrom such procedure shall, if certain time limits are met, not be
unenforceable on the ground that the information was not
- 35 U.S.C. § 112 requirement to disclose best mode is retained,but 35 U.S.C. § 282 amended to remove failure to disclose bestmode as a defense.
- Contains no definition of the acts that constitute willfulinfringement.- Provides that failure to obtain advice of counsel with respect to anallegedly infringed patent or the failure to present such advice may
not be used to prove willful infringement.
- No provision on where actions for infringement may be brought.
3rd Part Submission of Prior Art
- 35 U.S.C. § 122 amended to permit the public to submit patentsand other publications before the earlier of (i) the date a notice ofallowance is mailed, or (ii) the later of either six months after theapplication’s publication, or the date of the first action on the merits.
- Provides that only the United States may bring an action torecover the penalty for false marking.- Provides a private right of action to recover damages adequate tocompensate for competitive injury suffered from false marking.
-Provides that inventions for reducing or deferring tax liabilitycannot be differentiated from prior art.- Also provides that inventions for reducing or deferring tax liabilitycannot be differentiated from prior art, but adds express exclusions
for inventions that are used solely for preparing a tax return, or
used solely for financial management ( to the extent it is severable
from, or does not limit the use of, any tax strategy).
- Establishes a four-year transitional post-grant review proceedingunder which - the validity of certain defined business-method patents maybe reviewed;
a party may seek a stay of any civil action involving a patent in
a transitional proceeding and the court shall decide whether to
enter a stay; and
an immediate interlocutory appeal to the Federal Circuit of any
district court stay decision shall be available and such review may
be de novo.
Joinder Customer/User Suits
USPTO FeeSettingAuthority - Authorizes the Director to fix all patent and trademark fees,subject to 45 day review by the PPAC and TPAC, 45 day publiccomment period, and a 45 day review by Congress.
USPTO Funding Authority (Anti-Diversion)
- Establishes a revolving fund (USPTO Public Enterprise Fund) into which all fees shall be deposited for use by the Director to cover Office expenses without fiscal year limitation.
Based on a Summary prepared by http://judiciary.house.gov
Obama Signs Patent Reform Legislation
On September 16, 2011, President Obama signed legislation know as the America Invents Act (H.R. 1249). This legislation enacts the most extensive changes to US patent laws in nearly 60 years.
The White House press release states “This much-needed reform will speed up the patent process so that innovators and entrepreneurs can turn a new invention into a business as quickly as possible.” To read the press release visit the White House website here. To view a video of the bill signing ceremony at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, click here. Posted in Announcements | No Comments »