USPTO Policy Shift: Why Now Is The Ideal Time For Patent Enforcement

The centralization of Inter Partes Review (IPR) institution authority under United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Director John Squires—effective October 20, 2025—has resulted in a near-zero institution rate for new IPR petitions. This administrative change, coupled with the USPTO's formal policy emphasizing strong patent remedies, systematically removes the IPR process as a viable first-line defense for Accused Infringers (Petitioners). As a result, the current landscape presents a strategically ideal time for Patent Owners (Patentees) to assert and enforce their patent rights with a reduced risk of facing a validity challenge before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).