Webinar on Overcoming Obviousness Rejections

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP will be offering a live webinar on the "Successful Strategies for Overcoming Obviousness Rejections in the Patent Application Process" on November 15, 2012 from 10:00 am to 11:15 am (CT).  MBHB attorney Blair Hughes will use examples of successful patent prosecution arguments to highlight common 103 rejection shortcomings as well as to understand how to craft successful responses that don’t require claim amendments.  Topics to be covered include:

• What legal and factual shortcomings should you look for?

• Understanding the changing examiner's burden of proof and using it to your advantage

• Successfully demonstrating lack of a prima facie case of obviousness for reasons including:

• Using non-analogous prior art

• Basing an obviousness rejection on an unsupported common knowledge allegation

• Using inherency improperly

• Combining the prior art illogically -- from the perspective of both the suggestion to combine and the expected technical results of the combination

• Relying on an unsupported "results effective variable"

• Using Declarations (as a last resort) to overcome obviousness rejections

• Challenging obviousness rejections on Appeal

While there is no fee to participate, attendees must register in advance.  Those wishing to register can do so here.  CLE credit is pending for the states of California, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York and Virginia.