https://divergentpatent.de/blog/ U.S. patent prosecution and cross-border patent strategy. en https://divergentpatent.de/post/choosing-an-isa-after-the-korean-fee-increase-a-practical-comparison-for-us-pct-applicants/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/choosing-an-isa-after-the-korean-fee-increase-a-practical-comparison-for-us-pct-applicants/ Korea’s announced increase in its U.S.-dollar international search fee from $783 to $867, effective November 1, 2026, gives U.S. PCT applicants a reason to reassess ISA selection based on costs through the intended national-stage entry. Under the article’s… Thu, 29 Oct 2026 10:00:14 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/make-web-ads-the-default-for-cleaner-patent-filings/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/make-web-ads-the-default-for-cleaner-patent-filings/ Making the USPTO’s Web Application Data Sheet (Web ADS) the default for supported utility and design filings can reduce preventable errors and the need for corrected ADS submissions after the filing receipt arrives. Guided entry, parent-application autofill,… Mon, 26 Oct 2026 23:13:34 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/restriction-and-unity-of-invention-in-the-united-states-and-china-a-comparative-guide-for-patent-pr/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/restriction-and-unity-of-invention-in-the-united-states-and-china-a-comparative-guide-for-patent-pr/ U.S. restriction practice and Chinese unity requirements determine which inventions may be examined together, but their different legal standards can produce different prosecution paths for the same disclosure. This article explains each system through… Sun, 25 Oct 2026 10:00:31 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/using-rule-132-declarations-in-design-patent-prosecution/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/using-rule-132-declarations-in-design-patent-prosecution/ Declarations under 37 C.F.R. § 1.132 can strengthen design patent applications by supplying evidence addressing ornamentality, obviousness after LKQ, and the connection between commercial success and the claimed design. Their persuasive value depends on… Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:00:19 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/small-entity-errors-after-patent-issuance-validity-correction-and-enforceability/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/small-entity-errors-after-patent-issuance-validity-correction-and-enforceability/ Paying small-entity fees when undiscounted fees were required does not automatically invalidate a U.S. patent, but the error can create correction obligations, financial exposure, and enforceability risks. The analysis begins with eligibility when the… Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:00:07 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/one-disclosure-two-standards-pct-unity-of-invention-and-u-s-restriction-practice/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/one-disclosure-two-standards-pct-unity-of-invention-and-u-s-restriction-practice/ PCT unity of invention and ordinary U.S. restriction practice apply different tests for determining which inventions may be examined together. PCT unity turns on a shared inventive technical relationship, while ordinary U.S. restriction requires independent… Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:00:06 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/pier-at-the-uspto-application-selection-and-patent-term-consequences/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/pier-at-the-uspto-application-selection-and-patent-term-consequences/ The USPTO’s PCT Informed Examination Request (PIER) pilot requires selected U.S. national-stage applicants to choose whether to proceed with examination, defer examination for twelve months, or expressly abandon the application after considering the… Sat, 17 Oct 2026 18:26:59 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/taking-over-an-unpublished-patent-application-without-a-confirmation-number/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/taking-over-an-unpublished-patent-application-without-a-confirmation-number/ A missing confirmation number can complicate the transfer of an unpublished patent application even when the client has provided a properly executed power of attorney. For ordinary confidential U.S. national applications, the missing number does not itself… Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:04:44 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/electronic-service-in-patent-reexamination-why-the-uspto-should-adopt-the-ipr-model/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/electronic-service-in-patent-reexamination-why-the-uspto-should-adopt-the-ipr-model/ The USPTO should amend its reexamination rules to expressly permit electronic service by agreement, following the model already established for inter partes review. Although reexamination papers may be filed electronically, 37 C.F.R. § 1.248 provides no… Tue, 13 Oct 2026 10:00:09 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/electronic-patents-unexplained-delays-the-case-for-issuance-transparency/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/electronic-patents-unexplained-delays-the-case-for-issuance-transparency/ The USPTO’s transition to official electronic patent grants has eliminated physical delivery of the legal grant, although optional ceremonial paper copies remain available. A practitioner-reported USPTO estimate of approximately four months between issue-fee… Sun, 11 Oct 2026 10:00:06 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/inventor-testimony-and-corroboration-after-the-new-smed-guidance/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/inventor-testimony-and-corroboration-after-the-new-smed-guidance/ The USPTO’s September 29, 2026 guidance on Subject Matter Eligibility Declarations (SMEDs) provides an opportunity to distinguish legally required corroboration from the factual support that makes inventor testimony persuasive. Drawing on Supreme Court and… Fri, 09 Oct 2026 10:00:11 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/returning-ipr-merits-determinations-to-the-ptab/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/returning-ipr-merits-determinations-to-the-ptab/ Returning merits institution determinations in inter partes review to panels of administrative patent judges should establish a clearer allocation of decisional responsibility within the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The Director-centered process… Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:00:11 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/using-docusign-at-the-uspto-a-practical-guide-for-patent-applicants-and-practitioners/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/using-docusign-at-the-uspto-a-practical-guide-for-patent-applicants-and-practitioners/ The USPTO permits DocuSign, Acrobat Sign, and comparable qualifying platforms for a broad range of patent documents, including inventor declarations, powers of attorney, prosecution papers, and evidentiary declarations. Under 37 C.F.R. § 1.4(d)(4), the… Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:59:02 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/using-pct-chapter-ii-before-national-phase-entry/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/using-pct-chapter-ii-before-national-phase-entry/ Chapter II of the Patent Cooperation Treaty offers applicants an optional opportunity to address examination objections, amend the application, and obtain an international preliminary examination report before national phase entry. Its greatest value arises… Sat, 03 Oct 2026 10:00:04 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/seeking-discretionary-denial-in-ex-parte-reexamination-patent-owner-timing-and-procedure/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/seeking-discretionary-denial-in-ex-parte-reexamination-patent-owner-timing-and-procedure/ Section 325(d) permits the USPTO to reject an ex parte reexamination request that presents the same or substantially the same art or arguments previously presented to the Office, but repetition alone does not establish an entitlement to relief. For patent… Thu, 01 Oct 2026 10:00:37 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/information-disclosure-statements-from-filing-through-issuance/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/information-disclosure-statements-from-filing-through-issuance/ Effective information disclosure statement (IDS) practice requires coordinating the duty to disclose known, material, noncumulative information with the procedural requirements for obtaining examiner consideration. 37 C.F.R. §§ 1.56, 1.97–1.98 (2026). This… Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:00:10 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/after-final-practice-at-the-uspto-and-reexamination-before-cnipa-a-comparative-guide-for-united-sta/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/after-final-practice-at-the-uspto-and-reexamination-before-cnipa-a-comparative-guide-for-united-sta/ This article compares after-final practice at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) with reexamination before the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), using each system’s familiar procedures to explain the other to U.S.… Sun, 27 Sep 2026 10:00:07 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/the-reference-arrived-after-the-issue-fee-a-practical-guide-to-qpids/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/the-reference-arrived-after-the-issue-fee-a-practical-guide-to-qpids/ The Quick Path Information Disclosure Statement (QPIDS) program provides a conditional procedure for obtaining examiner consideration of newly identified information after the issue fee has been paid but before the patent issues. Its use depends on a truthful… Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:00:08 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/correcting-patent-applications-after-allowance-under-rule-312-a-practical-guide-to-timing-discreti/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/correcting-patent-applications-after-allowance-under-rule-312-a-practical-guide-to-timing-discreti/ A notice of allowance does not eliminate prosecution risk; it compresses the time available and narrows the procedures for correcting an application before issuance. Rule 312 offers a final, low-disruption opportunity to make a supported correction, but entry… Wed, 23 Sep 2026 10:00:09 +0000 https://divergentpatent.de/post/the-doctrine-of-equivalents-in-the-united-states-and-selected-european-forums/ https://divergentpatent.de/post/the-doctrine-of-equivalents-in-the-united-states-and-selected-european-forums/ Patent protection in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Unified Patent Court can extend beyond the ordinary meaning of the claims, but the governing tests and limits differ by forum. This article organizes the comparison around three… Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:00:05 +0000