By
Sarah Fendrick —

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has extended the
time for public comment for two recent Office initiatives and has extended the period
of effectiveness for a third Office initiative.

Extension
of Period for Comments on Enhancement in the Quality of Patents

In December 2009, the USPTO
published a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comment on the
enhancement in quality of patents.  Specifically, the Office solicited public comment with respect to potential
methods that may be employed by applicants and the USPTO to enhance the quality
of issued patents, to identify appropriate indicia of quality, and to establish
metrics for the measurement of the indicia.  The USPTO recently extended
the deadline for public comment until March 8, 2010.

Written
comments can be sent to patent_quality_comments@uspto.gov
or can be submitted by mail addressed to:  Mail Stop Comments — Patents, Commissioner for
Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA, 22313–1450, marked to the attention of Kenneth
M. Schor and Pinchus M. Laufer.

Rules
of Practice Before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences in Ex Parte
Appeals; Extension of Comment Period on Potential Modifications to Final Rule

At
the end of 2009, the USPTO published an advance notice of proposed rule making
on potential modifications to rules governing practice before the Board of
Patent Appeals and Interferences (BPAI) in ex parte patent appeals.  The USPTO has now extended
the deadline for the public to submit comments on the potential rule
modifications.  The new deadline is
5 p.m. (EST) on February 26, 2010.

Written
comments on potential modifications to the final rule should be sent by
electronic mail message over the Internet addressed to BPAI.Rules@uspto.gov or by
mail addressed to:  Mail Stop Interference, Director of the United States Patent
and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313–1450, marked to the
attention of Linda Horner, BPAI Rules.

Extension
of the Patent Application Backlog Reduction Stimulus Plan

The
USPTO has extended
the patent application backlog reduction stimulus plan on a temporary
basis.  Under this program, a
small entity applicant may have an application accorded special status for examination
if the applicant expressly abandons another copending unexamined application.  The plan has been extended until June
30, 2010.  After that deadline, the USPTO
will consider whether to open the program to all applicants or discontinue the program
altogether depending on the results.

For
additional information on these topics, please see:

• "USPTO
to Hold Public Meeting on January 20th to Discuss Appeals Rules Changes,"
January 13, 2010
• "USPTO
Requests Comments on Enhancement of Patent Quality," December 13, 2009
• "USPTO
Implements Patent Application Backlog Reduction Stimulus Plan," December
7, 2009