Several sources are have reported that H.R. 1249, which is the House version of the patent reform bill (S. 23) passed 93-3  by the Senate in March, will be coming up for a floor vote as early as this week.  Although no one should rationally expect smooth sailing for any bill, passage of the bill … Continue reading The increasingly uncertain status of patent reform in Congress →

Number of patents per 100,000 population - The Globe and Mail. The linked article reports an interesting statistic calculated in Canada by the Toronto Board of Trade and Conference Board of Canada. It ranks cities by number of U.S.  patents issued in 2009 by per 100,000 in population.  The statistic is meant to measure, indirectly, … Continue reading Number of patents per 100,000 population – The Globe and Mail →

See my post earlier today for the details of how to go about requesting prioritized examination of patent applications at the US Patent and Trademark Office. Several things to note: First, the PTO is not promising to issue a prioritized application faster, but its expecting completing examination in 12 months.  The PTO will only be placing … Continue reading Comments on New Track 1 Examination →

Rep. Lamar Smith (R - Tex), who is very likely to  be the incoming Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, also spoke yesterday at the Texas Global IP Leadership Summit in Austin. Patent reform is a high priority for him. Unlike the last session of Congress, in which the Senate took the lead, he intends … Continue reading Prospects for Patent Reform in the New Congress →

PTO Director Dave Kappos spoke at the Texas Global IP Leadership Summit in Austin today, along with Jim Pooley, Deputy Director General of WIPO, and SooWon Li, head of KIPO.   Several interesting things were said.  Here are two from Dave Kappos that caught my attention. Toward a European Style Revocation Proceeding in the PTO Director … Continue reading New PTO Initiatives →