Software Partnership
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is forming a partnership with the software community to enhance the quality of software-related patents (Software Partnership). The Software Partnership will be an opportunity to bring stakeholders together through a series of roundtable discussions to share ideas, feedback, experiences, and insights on software-related patents.
Roundtables
To kick-off the Software Partnership, the USPTO is sponsoring two roundtable events in February. The events will have identical agendas and will provide a forum for the public to offer input on topics within the purview of the USPTO, such as enhancing the quality of software-related patents through implementing best practices in patent application preparation and utilizing the existing statutory framework to improve examination.
For each roundtable, three topics related to software-related patents and applications will be covered:
- establishing clear boundaries for claims that use functional language;
- future discussion topics for the Software Partnership; and
- preparation of patent applications by employing certain claiming techniques.
Written comments on the topics are solicited and will be posted for public review.
Please see the Federal Register Notice for the detailed announcement of topics, registration information, and how to submit your written comments.
Dates and Locations
The first roundtable will be held in Silicon Valley at Stanford University on February 12, 2013, from 9 a.m. to noon PT. The address is Stanford University, Paul Brest Hall - East, 555 Salvatierra Walk, Stanford, CA 94305–2087. Map and parking information for Paul Brest Hall. Read the Silicon Valley roundtable schedule.
The second roundtable will be held in New York City at New York University on February 27, 2013, from 9 a.m. to noon ET. The address is New York University, Henry Kaufman Management Center, Faculty Lounge, Room 11–185, 44 West 4th St., New York, NY 10012.
Webcasts
Both roundtables will be webcast. Details for the Silicon Valley webcast are below. Details for the New York City roundtable will be posted not later than February 25.
Event: Software Partnership Meeting - Silicon Valley
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 12, 2013, 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (9:00 a.m. Pacific Time)
Event number: 398 015 853
Event password: 123456
Event address: https://fedgov.webex.com/fedgov/onstage/g.php?d=398015853&t=a
There has been a great deal of enthusiasm for these roundtables with an overwhelming response by stakeholders who would like to speak. There will be stakeholders speaking from all sides of the software patent debate. Due to the overwhelming response, we have reached capacity for both roundtables. We encourage all software stakeholders to watch via webcast if they cannot attend in-person.
