Dissemination of Court and Patent Trial and Appeal Board Decisions

I.

COURT DECISIONS

The Office of the Solicitor forwards to the Office of the Commissioner

for Patents copies of all recent court decisions in patent cases where a precedential

opinion is issued. The Office of the Commissioner for Patents will routinely forward

these opinions to TC Directors, the Office of Patent Training, and the Director of the

Office of Patent Quality Assurance.

TC Directors, in turn, are to make copies available to supervisors and

other individuals as the TC Director determines to be appropriate. TC Directors are

encouraged to discuss the contents of the opinions in their staff meetings, particularly

where such meetings are being held to reinforce examination quality.

II.

PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD DECISIONS

A decision rendered by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (Board) is

returned to the examiner. The examiner takes action consistent with the decision

rendered by the Board unless rehearing of the Board decision is requested

(

MPEP §

1214.03

). The TC Director may circulate and discuss the

decision among some or all of the supervisors in the TC, and the supervisors, in turn,

may circulate the decision among the examiners in their art units, depending on the

subject matter or issues in the decisions.

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