2024 IPO Annual Meeting

Directors Eldora Ellison and Daniel Gajewski spoke at the 2024 IPO Annual Meeting. Daniel was a speaker during the “Worldwide Design Law Update” session on Monday, September 23, 2024, and Eldora spoke during the “Recent Developments at the PTAB” session on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

Session Overview: Recent Developments at the PTAB

The AIA has been in effect for over a decade, but PTAB post-grant practice continues to evolve. This session reviewed trends and major developments within the last year that have had a significant impact on practice before the PTAB. Developments to be reviewed included application of PTAB estoppel, precedential Board decisions, rulemakings relating to the PTAB, and pending PTAB-related legislation.

Session Overview: Worldwide Design Law Update

It has been a busy year for design practitioners worldwide. The USPTO has been busy with proposed rulemaking and other jurisdictions have been providing and implementing updates to their own regulations and practice processes. This session provided an update on what’s new in the US, including the design patent bar and GUI/icons guidelines, what’s new in Europe, including recent design law changes and what’s new in Asia, including how implementation of the new patent laws in China, particularly examination of partial designs, is progressing.