Each year, Juristat publishes our annual rankings of the best firms in each technology center at the USPTO. This year, the rankings reveal exciting shifts in performance and the continued dominance of some top performers.

How does using data in patent prosecutions generate more revenue and better prosecution outcomes? Patent analytics can be a game changer for your strategy, but you’ve got to know how to use them.

Evaluating outside counsel is a crucial task for in-house patent teams seeking a valuable legal partner. While it may be easy to simply pick the biggest name firm, or choose based on word-of-mouth, that might not always be the best fit for your business. 

Competition is a vital component of doing business, especially for patent teams. Competition forces you to innovate, finding creative solutions to protect and grow every patent portfolio on your books.

Will an interview lead to an allowance? Should you appeal? Is it time to abandon? How long is too long between filing and the first office action? As an experienced patent professional, you know that predicting examiner behavior is key to finding the shortest path to an allowance, but without the right data, you’re just guessing.

With the right data, IP practitioners can make nuanced and strategic decisions to aid their patent prosecution process.

Patent analytics drive better prosecution outcomes – including less time to allowance, improved client relationships, and, crucially, increased profitability.

Having insight into which examiners issue the most OAs can help you decide whether an application is worth pursuing, therefore providing you and your client with the information needed to persist confidently.

When it comes to office actions and your patent prosecution strategy, less is definitely more. Less time, less work, more profit, and more satisfied clients. Based on Juristat’s recent ranking though, some USPTO examiners might be thinking more is more. 

Knowing which examiners issue the most OAs per application on average can help you find the most efficient path to approval for your client.

In early June, AstraZeneca approached rival drugmaker Gilead Sciences to discuss a potential merger. Though some doubt the feasibility of such a deal, this would be the biggest healthcare merger on record.