Patent and Trademark Office January 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Deferred Subject Matter Eligibility Response Pilot Program
Document Number: 2021-28473
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-01-06
Agency: Department of Commerce, Patent and Trademark Office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is implementing a pilot program to evaluate the effects of permitting applicants to defer responding to subject matter eligibility (SME) rejections in certain patent applications. Under this pilot program, applicants may receive invitations to participate if their applications meet the criteria for the program as specified in this notice, including a criterion that the claims in the application necessitate rejections on SME and other patentability-related grounds. An applicant who accepts the invitation to participate in this pilot program must still file a reply to every Office action mailed in the application, but is permitted to defer responding to SME rejections until the earlier of final disposition of the application, or the withdrawal or obviation of all other outstanding rejections. This notice outlines the conditions, eligibility requirements, and guidelines of the pilot program.
Trademarks Administrative Sanctions Process
Document Number: 2021-28536
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-01-05
Agency: Department of Commerce, Patent and Trademark Office
As part of the United States Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO or Office) continuing efforts to protect the integrity of the U.S. trademark register, the Commissioner for Trademarks (Commissioner) has established an administrative process for investigating submissions filed with the USPTO in trademark matters that appear to violate the Trademark Rules of Practice, including the rules concerning signatures, certificates, and representation of others in trademark matters before the USPTO (collectively, the USPTO rules), and/or the USPTO website's Terms of Use; and imposing sanctions, as appropriate.
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