September, October and November of 2025 have seen several significant changes at the USPTO. In recent posts, we shared with you details of the Performance Appraisal Plan (PAP) and changes to it. An important change in the PAP relates to interviews and your USPTO interview strategy. Background You’ve probably read all the etiquette on interviews,...Read More

The fall of 2025 saw several significant changes and announcements at the USPTO, particularly in the areas of leadership shifts, Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration, new procedures, guidance on subject matter eligibility, proposed rules for the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). However, the USPTO is changing the Performance Appraisal Plan (PAP). Overview of PAPs As...Read More

The USPTO has proposed changes to the examiners’ Performance Appraisal Plan (PAP) with effect on applicants and, to a lesser extent, their patent agents. Nobody is sure how to meet these changes, but we will review the system, the changes, and our suggestions over a few posts: PAP and counts — the mysterious way the...Read More

Consider whether you should change your patent prosecution strategy. There are many changes at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. These include robot examiners, new acceleration programs, changes to the way the examiner corps is evaluated, and many other changes. However, a more subtle change is that the office is more likely not to...Read More