[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 185 (Monday, September 26, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58330-58331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-20697]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No.: PTO-P-2022-0023]


Extension of the Period for Comments on Director Review, 
Precedential Opinion Panel Review, and Internal Circulation and Review 
of Patent Trial and Appeal Board Decisions

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Extension of the comment period.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 
published a request for comments in the Federal Register on July 20, 
2022, seeking public comment on the processes for Director review, 
Precedential Opinion Panel review, and internal circulation and review 
of Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) decisions. The USPTO is 
extending the period for public comment until October 19, 2022.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 19, 2022, 
to ensure consideration.

ADDRESSES: For reasons of Government efficiency, comments must be 
submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
www.regulations.gov. To submit comments via the portal, enter docket 
number PTO-P-2022-0023 on the homepage and click ``Search.'' The site

[[Page 58331]]

will provide a search results page listing all documents associated 
with this docket. Find a reference to this notice and click on the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments. Attachments to electronic comments will be 
accepted in ADOBE[supreg] portable document format or MICROSOFT 
WORD[supreg] format. Because comments will be made available for public 
inspection, information that a respondent does not desire to be made 
public, such as a phone number, should not be included in the comments.
    Visit the Federal eRulemaking Portal for additional instructions on 
providing comments via the portal. If electronic submission of comments 
is not feasible due to a lack of access to a computer and/or the 
internet, please contact the USPTO using the contact information below 
for special instructions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kalyan Deshpande, Vice Chief 
Administrative Patent Judge; Amanda Wieker, Acting Senior Lead 
Administrative Patent Judge; or Melissa Haapala, Vice Chief 
Administrative Patent Judge; at 571-272-9797.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USPTO is extending the period for public 
comment on various practices and policies for the review of PTAB 
decisions.
    In a Federal Register Notice, Request for Comments on Director 
Review, Precedential Opinion Panel Review, and Internal Circulation and 
Review of Patent Trial and Appeal Board Decisions, 87 FR 43249 (Jul. 
20, 2022) (the Notice), the USPTO sought input from the public 
regarding the current interim Under Secretary of Commerce for 
Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO (Director) review 
process that allows a party to request Director review of a PTAB final 
written decision in inter partes review or post-grant review 
proceedings, and also provides the Director the option to sua sponte 
(at the Director's discretion) initiate the review of any PTAB 
decisions, including institution decisions and decisions on rehearing. 
The USPTO also sought input on the Precedential Opinion Panel process 
and on the current interim process for PTAB decision circulation and 
internal PTAB review. In view of the importance of these topics, and 
given the desire to receive input from as broad a cross-section of the 
public as possible, the USPTO is now extending the period to address 
the questions raised in the Notice, or to provide any additional 
comments, until October 19, 2022. All other information and 
instructions to commenters provided in the July 20, 2022, Notice remain 
unchanged. Previously submitted comments do not need to be resubmitted.

Katherine K. Vidal,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2022-20697 Filed 9-23-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P