[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules] [Pages 7080-7095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2012-2532]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
37 CFR Part 42 [Docket No. PTO-P-2011-0085] RIN 0651-AC73
Changes To Implement Transitional Program for Covered Business Method Patents
AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) proposes new rules to implement the provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act that create a new transitional post-grant review proceeding for covered business method patents to be conducted before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (Board). These provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act will take effect on September 16, 2012, one year after the date of enactment. These provisions and any regulations issued under these provisions will be repealed on September 16, 2020, with respect to any new petitions under the transitional program.
For the complete text of this proposed rule, access http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-02-10/html/2012-2532.htm