PTAB Aims to Lessen Influence Concerns with New Process

Alex Yap spoke to Law360 about a new U.S. Patent and Trademark Office process for reviewing draft Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) decisions before issuance.

According to Alex, the process outlined in the announcement is consistent with his understanding of the board’s previous internal processes.

“It reaffirms my understanding that a panel has final authority and responsibility for the context of a decision,” Alex said. “The announcement also makes clear that the director is not involved, pre-issuance, in directing or otherwise influencing any panel decisions, which addresses the perception, whether fair or not, that the director would influence a panel’s decision.”

Read the full article.