The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will be hosting seven roadshow events between September 16 and October 9 to increase understanding of the First Inventor to File (FITF) provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA). At each roadshow, panelists will discuss FITF statistics to date, the applicability of the FITF provisions on patent applications filed today, the FITF statutory framework and its exceptions, and AIA evidentiary declaration practice useful to invoke these exceptions.
Roadshow events will be held on the following dates:
Tuesday, September 16 -- Franklin Pierce IP Center at UNH School of Law (Concord, NH) -- 1:00 to 5:00 pm
Thursday, September 18 -- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Engineering Hall (Madison, WI) -- 1:00 to 5:00 pm
Tuesday, September 23 -- USPTO Headquarters (Alexandria, VA) -- 1:00 to 5:00 pm
Tuesday, September 30 -- Dallas Bar Association Belo Mansion (Dallas, TX) -- 1:00 to 5:00 pm
Thursday, October 2 -- USPTO Rocky Mountain Regional Office, Byron G. Rogers Federal Building (Denver, CO) -- 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Tuesday, October 7 -- Cupertino Community Hall (Silicon Valley, CA) -- 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Thursday, October 9 -- Georgia Institute of Technology, Scheller College of Business (Atlanta, GA) -- 1:00 to 5:00 pm
The agenda for the roadshows will be as follows:
Introductory Remarks (10 min)
FITF – A Year Plus In Review (20 min)
• Review of examiner training
• Statistics to date
Will My Application Be Examined Under AIA (FITF) Or Not? (75 min)
• 1.55/1.78 statements
• The power of the ADS
• Have you checked your filing receipt?
• Scenarios
Break (15 min)
FITF Overview and Tips on Responding to Prior Art Rejections (60 min)
• 35 USC 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) – bases for rejections
• 35 USC 102(b)(1) and 102(b)(2) – exception provisions
• Scenarios
Effective Use of AIA (FITF) Evidentiary Declarations (45 min)
• 37 CFR 130(a) and 130(b)
• Scenarios
Tour of the AIA (FITF) Website and Q&A (15 min)
The roadshows in Alexandria on September 23 and Denver on October 2 will be webcast live through the USPTO website. The September 23 roadshow can be accessed here, using the event number 643 625 972, and event password 12345. Those wishing to call in can use the toll number 1-571-270-7000 and the access code 643 625 972. The October 2 roadshow can be accessed here, using the event number 649 219 415, and event password 12345. Those wishing to call in can use the toll number 1-571-270-7000 and the access code 649 219 415.
The roadshow events are free and open to the public, but seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional information regarding the roadshows can be found here.
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