U.S. announces pre-order procedure regarding substantial new question determination in ex parte reexamination proceedings
By Ferraiuoli LLC

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a new process for permitting a patent owner to provide information useful for the USPTO to make a determination of whether an ex parte request for reexamination establishes a Substantial New Question (SNQ) of patentability.
The new process allows for patent owners to provide information on why an argued teaching(s) in a proposed SNQ presented in a request for reexamination would not be considered important to a reasonable examiner.
This new process is expected to permit the USPTO to efficiently and effectively address the recent increased volume of ex parte reexamination requests by providing examiners with additional information useful for making the SNQ determination.
