[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 16474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-06014]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
[Docket No. PTO-P-2012-0052]
Extension of the Period for Comments on the Enhancement of
Quality of Software-Related Patents
AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.
ACTION: Request for comments; extension of the comment period.
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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
published a notice announcing the formation of a partnership with the
software community to enhance the quality of software-related patents
(Software Partnership), and a request for comments on the preparation
of patent applications, seeking input on potential practices for
preparing patent applications. The USPTO also conducted two roundtables
to obtain public input from organizations and individuals on topics
relating to the quality of software-related patents and the preparation
of software-related patent applications including: establishing clear
boundaries for claims that use functional language; identifying
additional topics for future discussion by the Software Partnership;
and potential practices that applicants can employ at the drafting
stage of a patent application in order to facilitate examination and
bring more certainty to the scope of issued patents. The USPTO has
received several requests for additional time to submit comments in
response to the notice. Accordingly, the USPTO is extending the comment
period to provide interested members of the public with additional time
to submit comments to the USPTO.
DATES: Comment Deadline Date: To be assured of consideration, written
comments must be received on or before April 15, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent by electronic mail addressed
to SoftwareRoundtable2013@uspto.gov. Comments may also be submitted by
mail addressed to: Mail Stop Comments--Patents, Commissioner for
Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450, marked to the
attention of Seema Rao, Director, Technology Center 2100. Although
comments may be submitted by postal mail, the USPTO prefers to receive
comments via electronic mail because sharing comments with the public
is more easily accomplished.
The comments will be available for public inspection on the USPTO's
Web site at http://www.uspto.gov, and will also be available at the
Office of the Commissioner for Patents, currently located in Madison
East, Tenth Floor, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Virginia. Because
comments will be made available for public inspection, information that
the submitter does not desire to make public, such as an address or
phone number, should not be included in the comments. Parties who would
like to rely on confidential information to illustrate a point are
requested to summarize or otherwise submit the information in a way
that will permit its public disclosure.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Seema Rao, Director, Technology Center
2100, by telephone at 571-272-5253, or by electronic mail message at
seema.rao@uspto.gov; or Matthew J. Sked, Legal Advisor, by telephone at
(571) 272-7627, or by electronic mail message at
matthew.sked@uspto.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 3, 2013, the USPTO published a
notice announcing the Software Partnership, which is a cooperative
effort between the USPTO and the software community to explore ways to
enhance the quality of software-related patents. See Request for
Comments and Notice of Roundtable Events for Partnership for
Enhancement of Quality of Software-Related Patents, 78 FR 292 (January
3, 2013). The Software Partnership commenced with two bi-coastal
roundtable events held in Silicon Valley on February 12, 2013, and in
New York City on February 27, 2013, during which multiple speakers from
the software community and the public offered oral comments on
functional claim language, topics for future discussion by the Software
Partnership, and the preparation of patent applications. The notice
also invited the public to submit written comments on or before March
15, 2013. The USPTO has received several requests for additional time
to submit comments, and is now extending the period for submission of
public comments until April 15, 2013.
Dated: March 11, 2013.
Teresa Stanek Rea,
Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2013-06014 Filed 3-14-13; 8:45 am]
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