PTAB Updates Its SOP For Assigning Judges To Panels

The PTAB recently updated its Standard Operating Procedure 1 (SOP), which describes the process and guidelines for assigning judges to panels in all jurisdictions of the Board. This blog post highlights some of the key features of the revised SOP and what they mean for practitioners and parties.

The PTAB is an administrative tribunal within the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that hears appeals from patent examiners, interferences, and post-grant proceedings under the America Invents Act (AIA). The PTAB consists of administrative patent judges (APJs) who are designated by the Director of the USPTO to serve on panels of at least three members for each case. The Director's authority to designate panels has been delegated to the Chief Judge of the PTAB, who further delegates the task of assigning panels to one or more designated Board employees (designees).