United States - Patent Detectives

PTAB Inventory Falls Below 2,000 for First Time in 20 Years — IPR Restrictions Reshape U.S. Patent Challenge Landscape

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board's pending ex parte appeals inventory has dropped to 1,866 as of March 31, 2026—falling...

2026.04.24

パテント探偵社編集部

EnglishIP News

Nearly 25% of USPTO Office Actions Now Cite Secret Prior Art — 233 Million Citation Study Quantifies Patent Law’s Structural Challenge

An empirical study of 233 million citation records from approximately 9 million U.S. granted patents reveals that roughl...

2026.04.24

パテント探偵社編集部

EnglishIP News

USPTO Launches Class ACT AI Tool for Trademark Classification – Cuts Processing Time from 5 Months to 5 Minutes

USPTO launches Class ACT, an AI tool for trademark classification that cuts processing time from five months to five minutes. Automated pre-processing enhances examination efficiency.

2026.04.24

パテント探偵社編集部

EnglishIP News

USPTO Expands Design Patent Eligibility for Digital Icons and Computer Interfaces

USPTO eliminates display panel housing requirement for design patent applications covering digital icons and computer interfaces, effective March 13, 2026.

2026.04.24

パテント探偵社編集部

EnglishIP News

USPTO Patent Term Adjustment Hits 318 Days, Reverting to 2015 Backlog Levels

USPTO patent term adjustment reaches 318 days as of April 2026, reverting to 2015 backlog levels. The agency's six-year improvement effort has been largely reversed.

2026.04.24

パテント探偵社編集部

EnglishIP News

USPTO Patent Term Adjustment Climbs to 318 Days — Nearly Three Times Its 2021 Low as Examination Delays Worsen

The six-week trailing average for Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) on newly issued U.S. utility patents reached 318 days in ...

2026.04.22

パテント探偵社編集部

IP News

OpenAI Abandons “Cameo” Trademark Appeal as Sora Shutdown Renders Injunction Moot

OpenAI Inc. withdrew its Ninth Circuit appeal of a preliminary injunction barring the company from using the name "Cameo...

2026.04.21

パテント探偵社編集部

Trademark Updates

PTAB Caseload Falls Below 2,000 for First Time in Over Two Decades as Squires Reforms Reshape U.S. Patent Challenge Landscape

The total caseload at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) has dropped below 2,000 for the first time in the Board's...

2026.04.21

パテント探偵社編集部

IP News

The ‘Dark Matter’ of Patent Law: Study Finds Nearly 25% of USPTO Office Actions Now Cite Secret Prior Art

A large-scale empirical study has found that approximately one in four USPTO office actions now cites prior art that was...

2026.04.20

パテント探偵社編集部

IP News

U.S. ITC Opens Section 337 Investigation into Imported OTC Lidocaine Patches

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) formally instituted a Section 337 investigation on April 9, 2026, targetin...

2026.04.20

パテント探偵社編集部

IP News