On October 14, 2016, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a notice in the Federal Register for two public roundtables and a request for comments related to patent subject matter eligibility. The notice stated the USPTO seeks public input on patent subject matter eligibility in view of recent decisions by the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
The USPTO seeks to continue to receive feedback from members of the public to improve the USPTO’s subject matter eligibility guidance and training examples. The public roundtables are intended to facilitate a discussion among members of the public regarding the legal contours of eligible subject matter in the U.S. patent system.
The purpose of Roundtable 1 is to receive feedback from the public to improve the USPTO’s existing subject matter eligibility guidance and training examples. It will be held on November 14, 2016, at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. The deadline to register for those who wish to speak is October 26, 2016, and those interested must indicate their interest in speaking when they register. The USPTO is accepting written comments via electronic mail on the subject matter eligibility guidance and training examples on an ongoing basis.
Roundtable 2 will be held on December 5, 2016, at Stanford University in Stanford, California and its purpose is to receive feedback regarding larger questions concerning the legal contours of eligible subject matter in the U.S. patent system. The deadline to register for those who wish to speak is November 14, 2016, and those interested must indicate their interest in speaking when they register. Those wishing to submit written comments on the topics addressed in Roundtable 2, should submit them by January 18, 2017, via electronic mail.
There is no fee to register for Roundtables 1 and 2. Registration can be done on-line and is on a first-come, first-served basis. A live webcast will be available for both roundtables.
More information can be found in the Federal Register notice: