Patent Law Updates | New Statutes, Regulations and Rules
February 26, 2010
Recently Announced Changes to USPTO’s Examiner Count System Go into Effect
Changes to Examiner Count System
10-08, 2/18/2010
The significant changes to the examiner “count system” that were announced by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) on September 30, 2009, took effect last week. The count system is the methodology for determining the amount of time in which a patent examiner is expected to complete a patent examination and the credit that is given for each stage of an examination.
These changes, announced in conjunction with the Patent Office Professional Association (“POPA”), the union that represents patent examiners, place emphasis on complete and thorough initial examination, and are expected to decrease redundancy and encourage quicker resolution of…
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