Practising
Law Institute (PLI) will be holding a seminar entitled: "Prior Art &
Obviousness 2010:  Current Trends
in Sections 102 & 103" on July 7, 2010 in New York, NY and on
September 15, 2010 in San Francisco, CA. 
The seminar will
provide information on the following topics:

•
When is a patent a "patent" under the statute?
•
Public accessibility — on the web, on the shelf, in the mail,
"routine" practices;
•
Four steps to the abyss of 102(d);
•
Ex parte 102(g); abandon, suppress, conceal;
•
Actual vs. constructive reduction to practice (where 102(e) trumps 102(g));
•
What have they done to 102(e)?
•
The issues raised by successive common owner filings;
•
A walk through the "guidelines" and "timelines"; and
•
Impact of proper/improper benefit claims on:  a) prior art date of a reference, and b) effective filing
date of the application being examined.

In particular,
PLI's faculty will offer presentations on the following topics:

I. 
Section 102 and the MPEP, from (a) to (g) (or what isn't in the statute but is
in the law?);
II. 
Section 103 and the PTO KSR
guidelines;
III. 
Section 102(a) – (d);
    A.  102(a) & (b) and the CAFC 2008;
    B.  102(c) & (d):  Abandonment and the "four
steps";
IV.  102(f) & (g):  Joint ventures and co-development;
V.  35 U.S.C. 103 and the CAFC; and
VI.  102(e) and the 9 most common
timelines:  Effects of priority
under 119, 120, 121, 365.

A
program schedule and list of speakers for the New York Patent Law Institute can
be found here, and a
program schedule and list of speakers for the San Franscisco Patent Law
Institute can be found here.

The
registration fee for the conference is $1,495.  Those interested in registering for the conference can do so
here (New York) or here (San Francisco).