Why prior art searches are a good idea

inspector

Do a prior art search before filing a patent. Anything that was sold or published more than a year ago, including your own work, can be used against you.

Obvious? Why did it take so long?

Shoot the moon

How can an idea be rejected as obvious based on old underlying citations? The Leo Pharmaceuticals case suggests new ways to overcome obviousness rejections.

In re Gorman is obsolete case law

Spiderweb

The USPTO can combine an absurdly large number of citations in obviousness rejections. The reasoning for this is based on a now obsolete court decision.

Track 1 Prioritized Examination

Track-1 patent applications

The fast (<1 year) USPTO Track 1 prioritized exam costs $2070 extra. It must be elected on initial filing, and all paperwork must be in order at that time.