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ARTICLE · 21 MAY 2014

Stakeholders Testify On Patent Subject Matter Eligibility

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On May 9, 2014, the USPTO held a public forum on the USPTO’s new patent subject matter eligibility guidance, previously discussed here.

United StatesIntellectual Property
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On May 9, 2014, the USPTO held a public forum on the USPTO's new patent subject matter eligibility guidance (the "Guidance"), previously discussed here. In promoting the forum, the USPTO stated that it wished to "to receive public feedback from organizations and individuals on the Guidance." The USPTO may be regretting it did not request public input prior to the Guidance's release, because the feedback it received at the forum was overwhelmingly critical of both the substantive principles and scope of the Guidance and the procedures by which it was promulgated.

USPTO Opening Remarks

Perhaps anticipating criticism, USPTO officials opened the forum by explaining why the USPTO issued the Guidance without first soliciting public input and the principles behind the Guidance.

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