In a recent sua sponte rehearing decision from the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Appeals Review Panel (ARP), it reversed an earlier Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision and held that obviousness-type double patenting (OTDP) may remain a concern even when a challenged patent would expire before the patent used as the OTDP reference.
Read MoreOn 26 June 2026, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) issued the revised Regulations on the Protection of Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits (2026 Regulations), which shall come into force on 15 October 2026. The Council promulgated and implemented the current Regulations (2001 Regulations) in 2001.
Read MoreThe USPTO appears poised to finalize a significant revision to Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) practice. A final rule titled Revision to Rules of Practice Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (90 FR 48335) is currently undergoing Executive Order 12866 review (RIN: 0651-AD89), indicating that agency review has been completed and the rule is nearing publication.
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