Client Alert

On September 16, 2011, President Obama signed the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, also known as the patent reform bill. The America Invents Act makes the most sweeping changes to U.S. patent law in years, including moving the U.S. towards a first-inventor-to-file system, creating new USPTO proceedings for challenging the validity of patents without litigation, providing for priority examination of important technologies, expanding prior user rights as a defense to infringement and mandating the establishment of three satellite offices of the USPTO.

View America Invents Act, H.R. 1249.

Summary of the Major Changes in Patent Law and USPTO Operations.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss how this legislation may impact you, please contact your attorney at Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione. 

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This Client Alert is intended to provide information of general interest to the public and is not intended to offer legal advice about specific situations or problems. Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione does not intend to create an attorney-client relationship by offering this information and review of the information shall not be deemed to create such a relationship. You should consult a lawyer if you have a legal matter requiring attention. For further information, please contact a Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione lawyer.