The USPTO launched the Post-Prosecution Pilot (P3) Program, which seeks to improve upon two other post-final rejection programs including the After Final Consideration Program and the Pre-Appeal Brief Conference Program. P3 provides the benefit of having a panel of examiners – i.e., assistant examiner, primary examiner, supervisor – review the application like in the Pre-Appeal pilot program, but does not require the filing of a Notice of Appeal and associated official fee. It also gives applicants an opportunity to make an oral presentation to the panel and explain the differences between their invention and cited prior art.
In its initial pilot phase, this program will continue for 6-months or 1600 applications. WHIPgroup will be evaluating P3 in the coming months.
WHIPgroup obtained another patent allowance using the After Final Consideration Pilot (AFCP) Program. In U.S. Application No. 15/239,469 directed to an eccentric well pipe, a Final Office Action rejected pending claims for obviousness. WHIPgroup attorneys [Read More…]
WHIPgroup attorneys were successful in using the Pre-Appeal Brief Review program to overcome a final rejection. During prosecution, the USPTO rejected claims directed to a method for actively damping oscillations in a compression process as [Read More…]
By Patrick D. Duplessis In a petition filed this month with the U.S. Supreme Court, patent owner Cave Consulting Group (CCGroup) draws attention to a persistent split at the Federal Circuit concerning foundational claim construction [Read More…]