As we near the end of a tumultuous year, IP managers and patent attorneys are more conscious than ever of their bottom line.

In our analysis, we found that the First Action Interview Pilot Program (FAIPP) may not result in a faster prosecution, but it is effective in reaching an allowance with fewer office actions.

We are in the middle of a professional paradigm shift - adapting to the new normal of a fully or partially remote workforce. This could be the motivation the patent industry needs to fully lean into the possibilities of legal technology.

Patent prosecution is expensive and complex. And often, each individual practitioner has their own unique approach to reach that all-important NOA. But inconsistent practices and reliance solely on past experience can lead to inflated costs.

As legal tech revolutionizes the industry, offering new avenues for speed, accuracy, and quality assurance in legal work, often, one roadblock remains - the budget-minded CFO.

Now is not the time to be idle. There are plenty of steps in-house IP departments can take now to ensure team productivity, strategic budgeting, and a strong patent portfolio.

With budgets tightening and department priorities shifting, now is the time for companies to evaluate outside legal counsel.

Even during these uncertain times, the USPTO maintains that operations will continue without interruption. That means while you are busy adopting new remote work processes and ensuring your team is healthy, office actions are still being issued. 

Driven by market demand for efficiencies and cost savings, law firms and IP departments are looking to implement more legal technology into their workflow. But after all the work you put into choosing the right tool, how do you get attorneys and staff members to adopt?

Did you notice a spike in office actions in late September? We sure did.

While the calendar year may be winding down, your team is likely busier than ever preparing office action responses. In fact, we’re just on the other side of a major spike in office actions from the USPTO, coinciding with the end of their fiscal year on September 30.