USPTO Proposes Rules That Would Limit Public Challenges to Patents

Summary

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has proposed new rules that would severely restrict the public's ability to challenge improperly granted patents through the Patent Office's own review processes. These changes would make it nearly impossible for individuals and small businesses to fight patent trolls, as they would eliminate affordable administrative challenges and force disputes into expensive federal court litigation. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is urging supporters to file public comments opposing these rules before the deadline, arguing that the changes would benefit patent trolls and harm innovation by allowing bad patents to remain unchallenged.