Intellectual Property Law
WHDA法律事務所は、日本人プロフェッショナルを多数有し、日本語で特許業務（出願、訴訟、ライセンス等）を交信できる全米でもユニークな特許法律事務所です。
日本語による案内につきましては、左欄の「日本語」をクリックして下さい。
WHDA is a full service intellectual property law firm. Our patent lawyers have strong technical backgrounds in the mechanical, electrical, electronic, optical, chemical, pharmaceutical, metallurgical, and biotechnical arts. We litigate in the District Courts and the ITC. We also handle interferences, reexaminations, licensing, counseling, patentability, validity and infringement opinions and most particularly, patent preparation and prosecution.
USPTO News Update
USPTO Starts New Pilot Program for Filing Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) After Payment of Issue Fee
The USPTO is implementing a new Quick Path Information Disclosure Statement (QPIDS) pilot program intended to reduce pendency and applicant costs when an Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) is filed after payment of the issue fee. This pilot program will permit an Examiner to consider an IDS after payment of the issue fee – in certain circumstances (see 2nd link below) -- without necessarily needing to reopen prosecution. Previously, such an IDS after payment of the issue fee required the filing of a petition to withdraw from issue and a Request for Continued Examination (RCE). Under this pilot program, such an IDS will only require a petition to withdraw from issue and a conditional RCE. If the Examiner determines that no item in the IDS necessitates reopening prosecution, the Office will issue a corrected notice of allowability and the conditional RCE will not take effect and the RCE fee will be refunded. If the Examiner determines that an item in the IDS does necessitate reopening prosecution, the RCE will be processed and prosecution reopened, and the IDS fee will be refunded. The IDS still must meet the requirements for an IDS filed after a Notice of Allowance, i.e., it must contain a certification under 37 C.F.R. §1.97(e) that the information was cited by another patent office in a corresponding application within the past three months or only became known to those having a duty to disclose within the past three months and include the IDS fee. This new program went into effect on May 16, 2012.
