The AIA’s soon to be implemented first-to-file system may have financial and timing implications for patent applicants. WIPR investigates.
In September 2011, President Barack Obama approved the biggest reform to the US patent system in nearly 60 years. When he signed the America Invents Act (AIA), Obama pledged to end years of costly delays to the patent-granting process, introducing faster and more efficient procedures for bringing inventions to market.
“Here, in America, our creativity has always set us apart, and in order to continue to grow our economy, we need to encourage that spirit wherever we find it,” the president said, minutes after putting pen to paper.
Perhaps the most significant change in the overhaul was the switch from a ‘first-to-invent’ to a ‘first-to-file’ system, which comes into force on March 16, 2013. For everyone working in the innovation process, including academics and technology transfer offices, the transition poses new opportunities and threats, forcing patent owners to think about how they can adapt to a new landscape.
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AIA, tech transfer, US, US patent system, technology
