USPTO Policy Shift May Trigger Rise in Discretionary Patent Petition Denials

New procedures implemented by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) could lead to an increase in the denial of petitions challenging patents for discretionary reasons. Under these new guidelines, the director of the USPTO is tasked with determining whether to deny such petitions. This procedural change is expected to result in a larger number of denials, though it leaves many aspects unclear, according to several attorneys. For further details on this development, visit the complete article on Law360.