The USPTO recently announced its plans to continue the After Final Consideration Pilot 2.0 (AFCP) through September 30, 2016. The AFCP was introduced by the USPTO as an initiative to improve the efficiency of the patent prosecution process. The program authorizes examiners to take additional time to search and consider responses to a final rejection, and even conduct an additional interview. WHIPgroup has made frequent use of this program, and use of the AFCP has resulted in a notice of allowance in almost half of the cases where it has been used. This has negated the need for an RCE or appeal, allowing WHIPgroup to keep prosecution costs low and obtain allowances faster.
Under U.S. law, anyone who uses a system that is likely to have been made by a patented process, and who does not demonstrate that the system was not made by the patented process, is [Read More…]
Recently, WHIPGROUP engaged in an arbitration that included a five day hearing in the City. Here are some thoughts about why arbitration is different (not clearly better or worse) than litigation. Venue The AAA arbitral [Read More…]
WHIPGroup previously filed a Motion to Dismiss a patent infringement suit filed against its client TomTom in the Western District of Texas. Rather than opposing WHIPGroup’s motion to dismiss, Plaintiff MDSP Technologies LLC voluntarily dismissed [Read More…]