Sunjeev Sikand Co-Authors Comments on Enhancing Patent Quality

Washington, D.C. | May 2015 – Sunjeev Sikand has co-authored an 11-page letter and report to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on behalf of the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) in response to a Federal Register notice on improving patent quality. IPO’s letter and report dated May 6, 2015 addressed each of six USPTO proposals. IPO suggested making in-person interviews with patent examiners available in every application, adjusting the components used to determine the quality composite metric, and eliminating or curtailing final rejections. While IPO supported the USPTO’s quality efforts, IPO said the USPTO and stakeholders should develop a comprehensive definition for patent quality. IPO said changes to the existing compact prosecution model and the manner in which patent examiners’ productivity and work product are measured may be needed.

The IPO is a trade association composed of in-house corporate counsel for Fortune 500 companies and intellectual property attorneys. Mr. Sikand currently serves as Co-Vice Chair for IPO’s U.S. Patent Office Practice Committee.

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