Revision of Patent Term Extension and Patent Term Adjustment Provisions

The patent term extension provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA) and the patent term adjustment provisions of the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999 (AIPA) each provide for the possibility of patent term extension or adjustment if the issuance of the patent was delayed due to review by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (BPAI) or by a Federal court and the patent was issued pursuant to or under a decision in the review reversing an adverse determination of patentability. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) is revising the rules of practice in patent cases to indicate that under certain circumstances a panel remand by the BPAI shall be considered a decision in the review reversing an adverse determination of patentability for purposes of patent term extension or patent term adjustment. The Office is also adopting other miscellaneous changes to the patent term adjustment provisions of the rules of practice.