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Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Update to PTAB's Standard Operating Procedure on assigning judges to panels

Today, we announced an update to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP 1) of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) for assigning judges to panels. This latest revision to SOP 1 aligns with recently updated Paneling Guidance, Standard Operating Procedure 4, and Director Review procedures. Consistent with current practice, the SOP does not include a procedure for panel expansion, a process that has not been used since 2018. The SOP also aligns with the Board’s continuing commitment to meet all statutory deadlines while ensuring reasonable workloads.

“Updating our procedures on assigning judges to PTAB panels improves, and increases the transparency of, our operations,” said Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. “We continue to listen to stakeholders, and draw on the experience of our workforce, to deliver on our Strategic Plan.”

The update to the SOP is effective immediately.

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