USPTO Issues Interim Guidelines to Patent Examiners on Patent-Eligible Subject Matter

On August 24 the USPTO published interim guidelines for its patent examiners on patent-eligible subject matter under the Bilski case. The guidelines include 8 pages of instructions and first and second accompanying flow charts. They are interim guidelines because the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review the Federal Circuit decision in Bilski and has scheduled oral arguments for November 9. The guidelines supersede instructions in the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure.

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