Another day, another change at the USPTO.
If you have ever filed a patent application, you know there is a section that asks for your entity status: Large, Small, or Micro. If you have ever asked yourself whether size matters, the answer is now officially yes.
On October 24, 2025, the Office of the Assistant
Another day and another change at the USPTO. On October 8, the USPTO announced an Artificial Intelligence Pilot Program for pre-examination searches. Last week, on October 24, the USPTO followed with the Streamlined Claim Set Pilot Program aimed at accelerating examination through simplified claim structures. Together, these initiatives reflect Director John Squires’ drive to modernize
In a new Law360 article, Seyfarth partners Puya Partow-Navid and Brian Michaelis examine the early actions of newly appointed USPTO Director John A. Squires and their potential impact on patent eligibility, PTAB proceedings, and patent prosecution.
The piece explores Director Squires’ initial policy moves, including his decision to personally oversee AIA trial institution decisions and
You’ve heard the name Labubu and have likely seen the wildly popular collectible plush toy. The craze around these dolls is reminiscent of times past when we (or perhaps a family member) all wanted Beanie Babies, Cabbage Patch Kids, or Troll dolls. This spike in popularity has brought about counterfeit LABUBU toys dubbed “Lafufus.” These
The USPTO just changed how interviews between a USPTO patent examiner and a patent applicant are treated. On October 2, USPTO management revised the examiner Performance Appraisal Plan (PAP) for FY 2026, capping compensation for interviews at one hour per round of prosecution.
Previously, examiners earned an hour of credit for each interview, with no
It’s that time of year where, for two weeks in late August and early September, tens of thousands of people descend upon Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York for the U.S. Open tennis tournament. The biggest stars in the world of tennis are there
Taylor Swift isn’t just a pop icon—she’s a master of intellectual property strategy. With the announcement of her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, Swift once again demonstrated how to blend creative storytelling with airtight brand protection. Just hours before she appeared on her boyfriend’s podcast to pull the album out of
Keen sports observers sometimes use trademark applications to try to identify the names and locations of potential expansion teams that may be coming to sports leagues. Recent trademark applications by the WNBA and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) highlight just how complicated expansion team-related applications can be, however.
Let’s start with the WNBA. Earlier this year, the WNBA filed applications to register CHARLOTTE STING (Serial Nos. 99,027,594 and 99,027,574); CLEVELAND ROCKERS (Serial No. 99,027,630); DETROIT SHOCK (Serial No. 99,024,363); HOUSTON COMETS (Serial No. 99,027,505); and MIAMI SOL (Serial Nos. 99,027,625 and 99,027,613). Notably, these are all names of teams that were previously WNBA franchises, but went defunct in the 2000s. When the teams folded, the WNBA’s trademark registrations relating to those teams were canceled or abandoned. Although the WNBA could potentially be seeking new registrations only for the purpose of protecting “throwback” or “retro” merchandise, press reports indicate that some or all of these cities have submitted bids to the WNBA for a new expansion franchise.
There is a complicating wrinkle for the WNBA, however. An independent basketball league, the Women’s Basketball League, has announced plans to launch a six-league team in 2025, including teams called the Cleveland Rockers and the Detroit Shock. The Women’s Basketball League filed an application for CLEVELAND ROCKERS (Serial No. 98,201,494) in 2023, and filed applications for DETROIT SHOCK (Serial Nos. 98,096,968 and 98,593,400) in 2023 and 2024. The USPTO granted the 2023 DETROIT SHOCK application, so the mark was registered as of February 4, 2025. It remains to be seen how these dueling marks will impact the WNBA’s trademark applications or its possible expansion strategy.Continue Reading Reading the Tea Leaves: How Trademark Applications Show WNBA and NWSL Expansion Plans and Complications
Beginning May 13, 2025, the window between paying the issue fee and your patent officially issuing will become much shorter.
Until now, after paying the issue fee, applicants typically had a comfortable three weeks (sometimes longer) to file a continuation or divisional application. It was not an enormous amount of time, but it was usually
As we near the end of February, it’s a great time to talk about something that might seem straightforward—USPTO response deadlines—but can actually be a little sneaky. Why? Because February insists on being the shortest month of the year, and that can make things interesting when calculating due dates.
So, let’s say you received an