[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 3394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00947]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No. PTO-P-2022-0032]


Expanding Opportunities To Appear Before the Patent Trial and 
Appeal Board

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Request for comments; extension of written comment period.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or 
USPTO) published a request for comments in the Federal Register on 
October 18, 2022, seeking comments from the public on the requirements 
to practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Through 
this notice, the Office is extending the period for written public 
comments until January 31, 2023.

DATES: Comment Deadline: Written comments must be received by January 
31, 2023.

ADDRESSES: For reasons of government efficiency, comments must be 
submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
www.regulations.gov. To submit comments via the portal, enter docket 
number PTO-P-2022-0032 on the homepage and click ``Search.'' The site 
will provide a search results page listing all documents associated 
with this docket. Find a reference to this request for comments and 
click on the ``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and 
enter or attach your comments. Attachments to electronic comments will 
be accepted in ADOBE[supreg] portable document format (PDF) or 
MICROSOFT WORD[supreg] format. Because comments will be made available 
for public inspection, information that the submitter does not desire 
to make public, such as an address or phone number, should not be 
included. Visit the Federal eRulemaking Portal for additional 
instructions on providing comments via the portal. If electronic 
submission of and access to comments is not feasible due to a lack of 
access to a computer and/or the internet, please contact the Office 
using the contact information below for special instructions on how to 
submit comments by other means.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Tierney, Vice Chief 
Administrative Patent Judge; Scott Moore, Acting Vice Chief 
Administrative Patent Judge; and/or Jamie Wisz, Lead Administrative 
Patent Judge; at 571-272-9797.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 18, 2022, the USPTO published a 
Federal Register Notice announcing that the Office seeks public input 
on whether revisions should be made to the criteria for appearing as 
counsel and/or lead counsel in PTAB proceedings under the Leahy-Smith 
America Invents Act. The request for comments also sought public input 
on whether the USPTO should make changes or improvements to training 
and development programs, such as the PTAB's Legal Experience and 
Advancement Program, to increase opportunities for practitioners who 
wish to appear before the PTAB. 87 FR 63047. The notice requested that 
written public comments be submitted on or before January 17, 2023.
    Through this notice, the USPTO is extending the period for written 
public comments until January 31, 2023, to give interested members of 
the public additional time to submit comments. Previously submitted 
written comments do not need to be resubmitted. Any comments received 
after the close of the previous deadline of January 17, 2023, and the 
publication date of this notice will be treated as timely and given 
full consideration.
    All other information and instructions to commenters provided in 
the October 18, 2022, notice remain unchanged.

Katherine K. Vidal,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2023-00947 Filed 1-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P