Two items of note today:
1) The US PTO today finally issued its proposed rules to implement its novel procedure called supplemental examination. Bad news; and maybe outrage to follow. They will charge a PTO fee of $5,180.00 “for processing and treating a request for supplemental examination.” They will also charge a whopping fee of $16,120.00 “for ex parte reexamination ordered as a result of a supplemental examination proceeding.” !
Even more, to file a request for reexamination will cost $17,750.00 in PTO fees.
The public has two months to comment (to express their outrage?).
2) Also, I participated in a panel at American University today on patent reform and post-grant review processes. I tried to express the need, conveyed by clients, that the complexities of the patent system need to be held in check, particularly for small business innovators. Now it also appears that costs also appear to be in need of holding in check in the new US PTO. One can only guess the PTO fees for things like inter partes review or post-grant review. Numbers like $40,000 were noted on rumor-like basis.
The humor was along the lines of one can buy a nice car with these fees!?