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Patent Trial and Appeal Board Reforms and Small Business Support

This act modifies patent trial procedures, including new rules for judges and the possibility of review by the patent office director. It also provides financial support for small and micro-entities in patent disputes.
Key points
Implementation of a code of conduct for patent judges, including limitations on ex parte communications.
Possibility of review of decisions by the patent office director, requiring a written explanation.
Financial support for small and micro-entities to cover patent dispute costs, funded by petitioner fees.
Alignment of patent claim construction standards with those used in civil court actions.
Setting deadlines for deciding requests for reconsideration and matters remanded from court.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
Print number: 117_S_4417
Sponsor: Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT]
Process start date: 2022-06-16
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-04-17
Source data: api.congress.gov
AI work logs for this document launch

OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Patent Trial and Appeal Board Reform Act of 2022

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 117_S_4417.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the Senate.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2022-06-16.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Implementation of a code of conduct for patent judges, including limitations on ex parte communications.
  • Possibility of review of decisions by the patent office director, requiring a written explanation.
  • Financial support for small and micro-entities to cover patent dispute costs, funded by petitioner fees.
  • Alignment of patent claim construction standards with those used in civil court actions.
  • Setting deadlines for deciding requests for reconsideration and matters remanded from court.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Introduced in Senate

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-29.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

CATEGORIES

Courts and Law Economy