USPTO proposes changes in information disclosure procedure

The USPTO says: To encourage submission of relevant information to the patent examiner promptly and in a way that brings the most important information to the attention of the examiner, the USPTO is proposing to eliminate all fees associated with submitting an IDS. Under the proposal, applicants in most cases would be permitted to send up to twenty documents without additional explanation, if these documents are provided to the USPTO before the examiner sends a first communication to the applicant.

Further:

Were an applicant to submit more than twenty documents, or wait until after the patent examiner's first communication has been sent, the applicant would face increasing requirements to provide more detailed information about the documents and how they relate to the claimed invention. Applicants could be required to point out what part of the document makes it important, to identify specific claims to which a document applies, to clarify how a document adds new information not already considered by the examiner, or explain why the claims are patentable in light of the information provided.


[IPBiz post 1763]