USPTO OED

Office of Enrollment and Discipline Offers Anonymous Ethics Hotline for PTO Practitioners

Who are you going to call if you have a question about whether your conduct as a patent or trademark attorney is ethical?   Many state bars offer “ethics hotlines” to aid their members in their understanding of, and compliance with, their obligations under applicable rules of professional conduct. Although the USPTO does not advertise a […]

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Trademark Ethics: 5 Things That Might Keep You Up At Night

Emil Ali has been keeping very busy representing trademark practitioners in USPTO ethics investigations and disciplinary proceedings.  Next Thursday, May 12, Emil will be sharing his insights into the perilous ethical landscape faced by trademark counsel, in a live online webinar.  Every trademark practitioner should watch and learn from the mistakes others have made!  This

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China skyline

Top Three Things IP Practitioners Must Know When Working With Foreign Associates

As we noted in a prior post, the USPTO has gone on record allowing U.S. practitioners to partner with foreign attorneys by way of ownership of law firms, without violating the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct.  However, practitioners continue to be surprised when they are told that practitioner relationships with foreign associates and agents outside

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USPTO Delays Patent Practitioner Registration Statements and CLE Certifications Until 2024

On June 10, 2021, the USPTO’s Office of Enrollment and Discipline will announce its intention  to delay by two years its previously-published requirement for biennial mandatory “registration statements” from all registered patent attorneys and agents. The USPTO’s announcement has no impact on trademark attorneys.  Last year, the USPTO published a final rule stating that the

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New IP Ethics CLE: A Look at the USPTO’s Focus on Declarations

On Monday, June 1, 2020, I will be moderating an ethics webinar panel discussion on behalf of the ABA’s Intellectual Property Law Section (for which I serve as Chair of the Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee). The webinar is entitled “A Look at the USPTO’s Focus on Declarations” and will focus on ethics issues relating

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OED Launches Diversion Program As Alternative To Traditional Attorney Discipline

In a welcome response to the growing epidemic of drug and alcohol abuse among members of the legal profession, the Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED) of the USPTO announced today it has initiated a new disciplinary diversion program that focuses on treatment rather than punishment.  The OED’s Diversion Program, which will initially begin as

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New USPTO Discipline Search Engine Added To IPethics & INsights

I am pleased to announce the addition of a new family member to this Blog: A USPTO disciplinary decision search engine and reader-friendly digest of USPTO disciplinary decisions. This feature can be found by clicking here or on the “PTO Discipline” tab beneath the IPethics & INsights banner. Why A Search Engine Why go through

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2016 USPTO Disciplinary Decisions – The Year In Review

To all of you who have been dying to know what happened in the world of ethics and discipline at the USPTO in the past year, I am pleased to say your wait is finally over.  I have written, “2016 USPTO Disciplinary Decisions — The Year in Review.” Why was The 2016 Year in Review

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