Higher Patent Fees

According to a final rule in the Federal Register, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will be raising a few patent fee rates to match fluctuations in the Consumer Price Index. The most current fee amounts are available at the USPTO's Web site.

Proposed Rules Change May Reduce Pendency

Proposed changes in the examination of patent applications that include claims containing alternative language (Markush claims or others using alternative language) may improve patent quality and reduce pendency. The proposed change would especially affect the pharmaceutical, chemical, and biotechnology fields where "multi-invention alternative" claims are common. For the text of the proposed changes see Friday's Federal Register.