Patent Prosecution

This course provides a working understanding of the core issues and strategies involved in prosecuting a patent before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO).  We examine such topics as (a) drafting patent claims and their supporting disclosure; (b) conducting inventor interviews and other preparatory fact investigations; (c) responding to common PTO rejections of patent applications; (d) appealing adverse patent examiner decisions; and (e) a sampling of some advanced topics, such as the prosecuting lawyer’s duty of candor before the PTO and reexamination practice.  Evaluation will principally be by a series of drafting assignments in a semester-long writing project.  There is no exam in the course.

PLEASE NOTE:  This course is not intended as an equivalent to, or substitute for, a commercial patent bar preparation course.

 

Prerequisite: Intellectual Property Survey

Recommended Course: Patent Law & Policy or Patent Litigation

Meets the WIE writing requirement.