Akin Gump published an alert on the Notice published by the USPTO on March 31, 2020. In that Notice, the Director of the USPTO determined that the national emergency relating to the COVID-19 outbreak “has prejudiced the rights of applicants, patent owners, or others appearing before the USPTO in patent matters, and has prevented applicants patent owners, or others appearing before the USPTO in patent matters from filing a document or fee with the USPTO.” The USPTO issued guidelines to allow 30-day extensions of certain filings and pleadings for those affected by the national emergency and will provide for the extension of certain deadlines in inter partes reviews and other proceedings at the PTAB.
The USPTO Provides Deadline Extensions Through the CARES Act, Including for Inter Partes Reviews at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
By: David C. Vondle
