Although the patents challenged in these proceedings have not been in force for as long as those in IPR2025-00780 and IPR2025-00781, this fact alone does not tip the balance against discretionary denial.
The Acting Director has discretionarily denied more than 60% of PTAB Petitions and referred about 40% to the PTAB, which found over 90% merit worthy.
DesignVision functions as a centralized tool for querying multiple industrial design data sources and is part of the USPTO's effort to tackle the patent examination backlog.
The Patent Office Professional Association (POPA) has filed a charge against the USPTO regarding denied representation during discussions about employee policies, alleging violation of fair labor practices.
The new interim procedure bifurcates discretionary denial issues from merits and puts the determination of discretionary denial solely in the hands of the USPTO Director.
