Court Opinion

ID: 9476391
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 05:54:57.289648+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:45:17.678409
License: Public Domain

NIES, Circuit Judge,
dissenting in part.
The Commissioner’s decision to suspend appellant was based on three charges. Two charges have been thrown out. I cannot agree that the single remaining charge rises to the statutory level of incompetence, disrepute, or gross misconduct, or such blatant or deceitful violation of PTO regulations to provide the necessary foundation for the Commissioner’s action of suspending a practitioner from practice. See 35 U.S.C. § 32 (1982).* Given the appellant’s long and apparently unblemished career, a factor which must be taken into account, and his full answers to the Commissioner’s Third Requirement for Information when the Commissioner’s questions became specific, the foundation for the Draconian action of suspension is simply, in my view, not present. Appellant explains he first answered the Commissioner’s Requirement for Information as one would interrogatories, revealing as little as possible. That was poor judgment — the PTO should not be treated as an adversary — but not gross misconduct.
I do not condone appellant’s lack of candor in dealing with the Office. Under the circumstances, the Commissioner could and should have warned appellant that the Commissioner deemed his actions unacceptable and could and should have noted the incident against appellant’s record which might then be taken into account if future incidents showed a pattern of sharp practice. To deprive appellant of his livelihood on the circumstances here, however, even for a de minimis period, is not justified under the statutory authority of the Commissioner. Thus, a remand for mitigation is inappropriate. Under the statute, the Commissioner can only “suspend or exclude” an attorney. The single incident of misconduct here has not been shown to meet the threshold level of culpable intent for such action.

 § 32. Suspension or exclusion from practice
The Commissioner may, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, suspend or exclude, either generally or in any particular case, from further practice before the Patent and Trademark Office, any person, agent, or attorney shown to be incompetent or disreputable, or guilty of gross misconduct, or who does not comply with the regulations established under section 31 of this title____