Patent and Trademark Office March 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) is revising the rules of practice to implement the changes with respect to inter partes review that are set forth in section 1(d) of the Act to correct and improve certain provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act and title 35, United States Code (``AIA Technical Corrections Act''). Consistent with the statutory changes, this final rule eliminates the nine-month ``dead zone'' for filing an inter partes review petition challenging a first-to-invent patent or reissue patent. Under the final rule, a petitioner may file an inter partes review petition challenging a first-to-invent patent or reissue patent upon issuance, including during the first nine months after issuance.

In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is amending the system of records currently listed under ``COMMERCE/ PAT-TM-1 Attorneys and Agents Registered to Practice Before the Office.'' This action is being taken to update the Privacy Act notice. We invite the public to comment on the amendments noted in this publication.