USPTO 2010 consultation

The USPTO is accepting comments until 27 September 2010 on their proposed examiner guidelines for interpreting the Supreme Court's recent Bilski decision. Your help is sought in analysing these texts and brainstorming on what points to highlight when ESP sends the USPTO its comment.

The main documents are:

• USPTO interim guidelines request for comment (news.swpat.org text version)
  • The original can be found at 2010-18424.pdf
• USPTO Method Eligibility Quick Reference Sheet (news.swpat.org text version)
  • The original can be found at Pages 3 and 4 of bilski_guidance_27jul2010.pdf
• There's also a USPTO memo which contains an informative cover page plus the two above documents
• The USPTO's press release

Analysis of the interim guideline RFC

Add your observations here regarding this text: http://news.swpat.org/2010/08/uspto-request-comment/

Analysis of the Quick Reference Sheet

Add your observations here regarding this text: http://news.swpat.org/2010/08/uspto-ref-sheet/

Arguments worth using

Ideas can be at Why abolish software patents? But the USPTO will want to focus on legal aspects and interpretations. To make "common good" arguments, we'd have to show clearly how the USPTO is obliged to listen to that type of argument.

Related pages on ESP Wiki

• USPTO
• Patentability in the USA after Bilski
• Bilski: analysis of Supreme Court decision
• Consultations from patent offices, governments, and courts

External links

(Note: the main official documents are linked in the first paragraph of this article.)

• USPTO Asks for Comments on New Interim Guidance on Bilski, on Groklaw, 29 July 2010
• USPTO Interim Bilski Guidelines: David Luettgen of Foley & Lardner Weighs In, 6 Aug 2010
• The USPTO’s Interim Guidance For Determining Subject Matter Eligibility For Process Claims, 28 July 2010, PatentablyDefined