[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 27 (Thursday, February 9, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules][Pages 6879-6914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-2525]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
37 CFR Parts 42 and 90
[Docket No. PTO-P-2011-0082]
RIN 0651-AC70
Rules of Practice for Trials Before the Patent Trial and Appeal
Board and Judicial Review of Patent Trial and Appeal Board Decisions
AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
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For the full text of this notice access http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-02-09/html/2012-2525.htm
SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) proposes new rules of practice to implement the provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act that provide for trials before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (Board). The proposed rules would provide a consolidated set of rules relating to Board trial practice for inter partes review, post-grant review, the transitional program for covered business method patents, and derivation proceedings. The proposed rules would also provide a consolidated set of rules to implement the provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act related to seeking judicial review of Board decisions.