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ARTICLE · 10 SEPTEMBER 2026

PTAB/USPTO Update - September 2026

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The USPTO has released its latest economic impact report on IP-intensive industries, announced a new community engagement office in North Carolina, and issued several administrative updates including relief for Japanese applicants affected by a severe earthquake. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has also designated new precedential and informative decisions addressing obviousness-type double patenting and Markush groupings.

United StatesIntellectual Property
David L. Cavanaugh
David L. Cavanaugh
Heather M. Petruzzi
Heather M. Petruzzi
Patrick Nyman, PhD
Patrick Nyman, PhD
Jeffrey Wu
Jeffrey Wu
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USPTO News

  • On August 3, the USPTO released the latest edition of its series of reports highlighting the profound economic contributions of industries that predominantly rely on intellectual property protection, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights, titled “Intellectual property and the U.S. economy in 2024.”
  • On August 18, the USPTO announced the selection of a new community engagement office in North Carolina to further the agency’s outreach efforts in the Southeast Region.

Final Rules

  • Effective January 1, 2027, the USPTO will incorporate classification changes adopted by the Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (Nice Agreement). International Trademark Classification Changes, 91 Fed. Reg. 54963 (Aug. 26, 2026).

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