This notice concerns Jianmin Zhou of City of Industry, California, who is a registered patent attorney (Registration Number 68,421) and an active member in good standing of the State Bar of California (Bar Number 272487). The USPTO Director has reprimanded Mr. Zhou for violating 37 C.F.R. § 11.804(d) (engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the integrity of the U.S. patent examination and issuance process). The reprimand is predicated on Mr. Zhou's violation of this provision of the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") Rules of Professional Conduct in connection with the submission of incorrect Certifications of Micro Entity Status in certain patent applications. See 37 C.F.R. § 1.29(a)(2).

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is inviting legislators to deepen their partnership with the agency in advancing key amendments to the Intellectual Property (IP) Code and related legislation, as the law marks its 29th anniversary today, citing the need to modernize the IP framework in step with evolving technological and economic realities. 

On April 3, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held that “provisional rights [under 35 U.S.C. 154(d)] are granted only when a patent would issue with exclusionary rights (i.e., would issue before its expiration date).” In re Forest, 134 F.4th 1198 (Fed. Cir. 2025). After the Forest decision, the Office began 1) identifying pending applications which, if issued, would result in a patent without any term (with no possibility of accruing Patent Term Adjustment which would result in patent term) and 2) mailing orders to show cause as to why prosecution of such pending applications should continue, even though any resulting patent would issue without exclusionary rights. In addition to saving our stakeholders unnecessary prosecution costs, this new procedure helps ensure examination resources are appropriately focused in support of reducing patent pendency.