For the first time in nearly a decade, USPTO examiners are getting through more work than the pile of new applications coming in, meaning the backlog is finally shrinking, along with your examination wait time. As of April 6, 2025, the inventory of unexamined patent...
The USPTO published a final rule on March 20, 2026, mandating U.S.-registered patent practitioners for all foreign-domiciled applicants and owners. Coming into effect in July later this year (120 days after publication), the rule aims to boost efficiency, fight fraud,...
The USPTO and the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a joint Statement of Interest in Collision Communications Inc. v. Samsung in the Eastern District of Texas, strongly reaffirming the role of patent injunctions as a core enforcement tool of patent rights. Collision,...
The USPTO has announced an upcoming revision to the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) prompted by the Appeals Review Panel’s precedential decision in Ex Parte Desjardins. Issued in September 2025, Desjardins reinforces how examiners should evaluate patent...
On October 27, 2025, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) launched the Streamlined Claim Set Pilot Program, a new initiative designed to speed up patent examination and reduce the USPTO’s backlog. The program gives special status to patent applications that...
