The USPTO has been flirting with implementing a fee for filing patent specifications in pds format for the past 16 months. Originally set to begin on January 1, 2022, and then delayed until January 1, 2023, the PTO has once again delayed the effective date of the DOCX requirement until April 3, 2023. As of the writing of this article, the effective date of the fee has not been extended again. Here are some things you should know to be ready for the DOCX surcharge.

Do you want to be a successful entrepreneur, small business owner, or inventor? Do you want to transform your innovation into an enterprise? If so, join the USPTO for the free 2023 Black Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program on Friday, February 10 from 2-4:30 p.m. ET [lnks.gd]. The program will be offered virtually and in person at the Earl G. Graves School of Business Management Morgan Business Center, Baltimore, Maryland.

Beginning February 1, the USPTO has implemented a Deferred Subject Matter Eligibility Response (DSMER) pilot program. Under the DSMER program, subject-matter eligibility (SME) can be deferred until non-SME issues have been resolved or the application is finally rejected. While the goal of the DSMER seems to be worthwhile, the implementation of the DSMER program does not seem to aid in the USPTO’s compact prosecution goals.

Recent technological developments have made topics like the metaverse, Web3, blockchain, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) commonplace. But nothing about these topics is common. They raise complex questions — technological, legal, financial, and cultural in nature — that cannot be easily answered. While the contours are under construction, the vision for these technologies, especially for the metaverse, is one that shouldn’t be ignored by brand owners.

The Intellectual Property Section is promulgating a new blog series called "You Should Know This." This series will feature quick, to-the-point information that intellectual property practitioners should be aware of. The goal of the series is to keep intellectual property practitioners up to date on recent changes in practice or the law, key decisions rendered by U.S. courts and administrative panels and any other information or news that affects the practice. So, the next time a client or colleague brings up a new development, you can say, "yeah, I knew that."

The Intellectual Property Section is promulgating a new blog series called "You Should Know This." This series will feature quick, to-the-point information that intellectual property practitioners should be aware of. The goal of the series is to keep intellectual property practitioners up to date on recent changes in practice or the law, key decisions rendered by U.S. courts and administrative panels and any other information or news that affects the practice. So, the next time a client or colleague brings up a new development, you can say, "yeah, I knew that."

The Intellectual Property Section is promulgating a new blog series called "You Should Know This." This series will feature quick, to-the-point information that intellectual property practitioners should be aware of. The goal of the series is to keep intellectual property practitioners up to date on recent changes in practice or the law, key decisions rendered by U.S. courts and administrative panels and any other information or news that affects the practice. So, the next time a client or colleague brings up a new development, you can say, "yeah, I knew that."

The rules that govern patent drawings deserve an overhaul. I propose a simple idea: delete the entirety of MPEP § 608.02 and 37 C.F.R. §§ 1.81–1.85. Drawings should need only satisfy 35 U.S.C. § 113 and other, specification-associated statutory sections. That’s it. Nothing more.

Advanced directives are essential tools for ensuring one's wishes for medical and end-of-life treatment are known. Unfortunately, people with intellectual or developmental disabilities are often overlooked in discussions surrounding advanced directives. Thanks to a $35,000 grant from the Indianapolis Bar Foundation, a new program from Indiana Disability Rights will empower these individuals to make their important end-of-life choices known.

On Feb. 17, 2022, a historic networking event occurred among the Marion County Bar Association (MCBA), the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Indiana (APABA), Indianapolis Bar Association (IndyBar) and Indianapolis Bar Foundation (IndyBar Foundation).