New America Invents Act On September 16, 2011:

The US implemented the most extensive changes to its patent laws in nearly 60 years. The new legislation aims to speed up the patent application process, help entrepreneurs turn inventions into businesses quickly, and spur job creation in the US.

Highlights include a replacing a first-to-invent system with a first-to-file system, an increase in some of the US Patent and Trademark Office’s fees, new pathways for expedited patent examination, more scrutiny for business method patents, discounts for inventors and small businesses that are new to the patent process, more support for financially under-resourced
independent inventors and small businesses, and bar to patenting human organisms and tax avoidance strategies.

We have extensive experience helping individuals and small business obtain and enforce patents in the US. Contact our patent team today for more information regarding how this new law affects your business.

By Gina Lupino