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ARTICLE · 03 AUGUST 2015

US Patent Office Issues Updated Guidance Regarding Patentable Subject Matter

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On July 30, 2015, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued updated guidance on subject-matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. 101, intended to "assist examiners in applying the 2014 Interim Patent Eligibility Guidance during the patent examination process."

United StatesIntellectual Property
Monica Grewal
Monica Grewal
Brian M. Seeve
Brian M. Seeve
Yvonne S. Lee
Yvonne S. Lee
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On July 30, 2015, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued updated guidance on subject-matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. 101, intended to "assist examiners in applying the 2014 Interim Patent Eligibility Guidance during the patent examination process."1 Below, we provide a brief summary of the updated guidance, which includes a "July 2015 Update," three appendices and a Quick Reference sheet.
The USPTO is currently seeking comments from the public relating to the new guidance.

July 2015 Update: Subject Matter Eligibility

The July 2015 Update includes a description of six "major themes" the USPTO developed based on public comments received in response to its 2014 Interim Patent Eligibility Guidance (IEG):

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