The Most Difficult Examiners at the USPTO (2018)

Knowing an examiner’s allowance rate is one of the best indicators of how difficult a patent prosecution will be. 

Understanding how an examiner has performed in the past allows patent professionals to manage client expectations and structure a prosecution strategy that maximizes an application’s likelihood of allowance.

In an update to our 2016 and 2017 list of most difficult examiners, we have identified the 10 patent examiners (excepting SPEs) with the most skeptical eye toward the patent applications that cross their desks. We updated our list to consider applications disposed between June 1st, 2008 and May 31st, 2017 and limited it to examiners who have reviewed at least 100 applications.

Should your application land on one of these examiner's desks, how would you get to an NOA? 

Of course, knowing an examiner’s allowance rate is just one of many steps in structuring a successful patent prosecution strategy. With Juristat’s suite of products and our industry-leading database of text-searchable prosecution histories, prosecutors can develop actionable data, form a customized action plan, provide more specific guidance, and set more realistic expectations. Tools like our Examiner Reports reveal the chances of obtaining an allowance up front, helping patent professionals to better predict a complex process and convey it to clients and colleagues.

If you want to exercise more control over your patent prosecution, schedule a personalized demo here.