As part of January 15, 2021, the USPTO will discontinue the First Action Interview Pilot Program that’s been in place for the past twelve years. The program allows practitioners to conduct an interview with the examiner prior to the first office action. This interview is held after the examiner’s preliminary prior art search and allows […] As part of the U.S. Federal Government’s response to Covid-19, the USPTO announced programs to prioritize Covid-19 related patent and trademark applications this past May and June respectively. Since this summer, applicants were permitted to apply for special status without the normal payment requirements for special status. Thus far, the USPTO has ushered in nearly […] As 2020 comes to a close, leading IP experts are taking stock of the year that was and its effect on U.S. patent law. Among these expert opinions is Maier & Maier’s own Steve Kunin, who commented on two of the most significant patent cases this year in Arthrex, Inc. v. Smith & Nephew, Inc. […] This Thanksgiving, Maier & Maier’s Steve Kunin noted the strength of USPTO leadership as Director Iancu deftly handled the ongoing pandemic to keep the office productive and effective. “We should continue to be grateful for Director Andrei Iancu’s leadership and stewardship of the USPTO during these trying times caused by the adverse impacts of COVID-19. With […] U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers magazine has named it’s 2021 Best Law Firms, and named Maier & Maier among the best in the field. Maier & Maier was named for its excellence in patent law in Washington, D.C. The firm prides itself on providing the highest possible service to each of its […] There are currently multiple significant IP cases pending at the Supreme Court, including both the Oracle case and the Arthrex cases, and a number of petitions denied cert. Here are the latest case updates on IP at the Supreme Court: Google v. Oracle On October 7th, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the Google […] As Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) continues to transform industries across both the U.S. and the globe, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has been handling the issues at a much higher rate. In response to the developing field, the USPTO released a report on AI and the related Intellectual Property issues. “The USPTO has long […] With multiple IP issues percolating in the lower courts, there will likely be many federal issues decided in the coming years. With the passing of Justice Ginsberg, Amy Coney Barrett stands as the nominee to inherit those votes and a staunch textualist. Here are the some of the most recent Barrett decisions on intellectual property […] Maier & Maier has officially secured a deal for its clients on a patent portfolio in the gas-flow technology field. Maier & Maier successfully prosecuted the patent portfolio on behalf of the inventor. With the demonstrated high quality of Maier & Maier’s drafting and prosecution, the inventions drew interest from the purchaser. Maier & Maier […] The USPTO is set to implement changes to its Fee Schedule on October 2, 2020. Per the USPTO announcement, this update is “necessary to adjust to increasing costs and to provide necessary resources for Patent operations, including implementing the USPTO 2018-2022 Strategic Plan.” The changes include an approximate 5% increase of fees across the board. […]