I. BACKGROUND A. Twenty-Year Patent Term: Section 532(a) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA)[1] amended 35 U.S.C. § 154 to provide that the term of a U.S. patent applied for on or after June 8, 1995 begins on its date of issue and ends on the date that is twenty years from the […] The USPTO announced a new PCT Informed Examination Request (PIER) pilot program for 371 national stage applications. Under this pilot PIER program, the USPTO will issue a requirement for information (PIER RFI) in selected 371 applications. The USPTO will not accept requests to opt out of the PIER pilot program. The PIER RFI will require the […] On October 17, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office posted proposed revisions to the rules of practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. See https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2025-10-17/2025-19580. Time for comment closes November 17, 2025. The Proposed Rules would change which patents are subject to inter partes review and limit the ability of patent challengers […] Over the summer, Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01), a member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, and Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04) introduced the bicameral Realizing Engineering, Science, and Technology Opportunities by Restoring Exclusive (RESTORE) Patent Rights Act of 2024. This bipartisan bill aims to restore patentees’ abilities to protect their […] Trends in First Action Pendency at the USPTO As many may be familiar with, in recent years trademark pendency times at the USPTO have rapidly increased, with the average first action pendency time in Q1-Q4 of 2023 reaching over 8 months. The USPTO attributes this increase in pendency times primarily to the fact that it […] The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit) recently issued a decision interpreting one of the exception provisions in AIA U.S.C. § 102(b), namely subsection (b)(2)(B). Sanho Corp. v. Kaijet Tech. Int’l, 108 F.4th 1376 (Fed. Cir. 2024). The patentee in Sanho Corp. sought to disqualify a U.S. Patent Application Publication to […] The Precedential Opinion Panel (“POP”) has added more precedential and informative decisions which address key issues facing the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”). These cases provide key insight to guide practitioners before the Board to effectively represent their clients’ best interest. Precedential Opinions: 1. Sotera Wireless, Inc. v. Masimo Corporation, IPR2020-01019 In this proceeding, […] Earlier this week, IBM announced it would be working with IPwe to launch a new IP Marketplace powered by IBM’s blockchain technology. Organizations can also more easily view the IP as an asset on their balance sheet.” As related technology has been implemented to represent sports memorabilia and iconic moments, digital art, and even social […] As part of Maier & Maier’s ongoing commitment towards serving all of our clients IP needs, we routinely provide research and analysis for Business Intelligence. A major component of these services is surveying the IP Landscape for clients to help clients make informed decisions and to develop a strategic IP Plan. Recently, the team analyzed […] 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. […]