Knobbe Martens partners Rosaleen Chou and Lauren Katzenellenbogen co-authored the article, “What’s In The USPTO Policy Pipeline This Year,” published in Law360.
The article examines what intellectual property practitioners can expect in terms of policy updates and initiatives from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 2024, specifically in the areas of trademarks and patents.
For trademarks, the authors highlight artificial intelligence initiatives, particularly as they relate to identifying and classifying goods and image searching. Chou and Katzenellenbogen also highlight the USPTO’s first trademark-specific recognition, the Trademarks for Humanity award. This award will be presented to brand owners who are utilizing their trademarks to achieve humanitarian and environmental goals.
For patents, the authors discuss new USPTO rules creating a design patent practitioner bar that go into effect this month. These new rules expand eligibility for individuals seeking to practice before the USPTO in design patent matters. Among other highlights, the authors also note that the USPTO recently began accepting petitions for the Semiconductor Technology pilot program in support of the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors Act.
Read the full article here.
