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ARTICLE · 12 SEPTEMBER 2012

USPTO Examiner Interviews Make The News

Foley & Lardner LLP
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Although I am used to seeing patent litigation stories in The Washington Post, I was surprised when Sunday’s business section included an article on examiner interviews.

United StatesIntellectual Property
Courtenay Brinckerhoff
Courtenay Brinckerhoff
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Although I am used to seeing patent litigation stories in The Washington Post, I was surprised when Sunday's business section included an article on examiner interviews. Over the past few years, examiner interviews have become a more and more significant part of my patent practice. In a complex case, they can offer an invaluable opportunity to discuss the state of the art, explain the technology of the invention, or even review a specific point of patent law. While interviews do not always result in an agreement as to patentable subject matter, they do always advance prosecution–at the very least we come away with a better understanding of the examiner's concerns and an indication of how we might be able to move forward.

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