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    <RIN_INFO>
        <RIN>0651-AD16</RIN>
        <PUBLICATION>
            <PUBLICATION_ID>201804</PUBLICATION_ID>
            <PUBLICATION_TITLE>Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions</PUBLICATION_TITLE>
        </PUBLICATION>
        <AGENCY>
            <CODE>0651</CODE>
            <NAME>Patent and Trademark Office</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>PTO</ACRONYM>
        </AGENCY>
        <PARENT_AGENCY>
            <CODE>0600</CODE>
            <NAME>Department of Commerce</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>DOC</ACRONYM>
        </PARENT_AGENCY>
        <RULE_TITLE>Changes to the Claim Construction Standard for Interpreting Claims in Trial Proceedings Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board</RULE_TITLE>
        <ABSTRACT><![CDATA[<!DOCTYPE html>
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<p>The United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO" or "Office") proposes changes to the claim construction standard for interpreting claims in&nbsp;<span style="text-decoration: underline;">inter partes</span>&nbsp;review ("IPR"), post-grant review ("PGR"), and the transitional program for covered business method patents ("CBM") proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board ("PTAB" or "Board").&nbsp; In particular, the Office proposes to replace the broadest reasonable interpretation ("BRI") standard for construing unexpired patent claims and proposed claims in these trial proceedings with a standard that is the same as the standard applied in federal district courts and International Trade Commission ("ITC") proceedings.&nbsp; The Office also proposes to amend the rules to add that the Office will consider any prior claim construction determination concerning a term of the involved claim in a civil action, or an ITC proceeding, that is timely made of record in an IPR, PGR, or CBM proceeding.</p>
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        <PRIORITY_CATEGORY>Substantive, Nonsignificant</PRIORITY_CATEGORY>
        <RIN_STATUS>Previously Published in The Unified Agenda</RIN_STATUS>
        <RULE_STAGE>Proposed Rule Stage</RULE_STAGE>
        <MAJOR>No</MAJOR>
        <UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
            <UNFUNDED_MANDATE>No</UNFUNDED_MANDATE>
        </UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
        <EO_13771_DESIGNATION>Not subject to, not significant</EO_13771_DESIGNATION>
        <CFR_LIST>
            <CFR>37 CFR 42</CFR>
        </CFR_LIST>
        <LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>35 U.S.C. 135</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>35 U.S.C. 2</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>35 U.S.C. 21</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>35 U.S.C. 23</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>35 U.S.C. 311 to 312</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>35 U.S.C. 316</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>35 U.S.C. 321 to 326</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>35 U.S.C. 41</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>35 U.S.C. 6</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
        </LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
        <LEGAL_DLINE_LIST/>
        <RPLAN_ENTRY>No</RPLAN_ENTRY>
        <TIMETABLE_LIST>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>NPRM</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>05/00/2018</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>NPRM Comment Period End</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>07/00/2018</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Second NPRM</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>10/00/2018</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Second NPRM Comment Period End</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>12/00/2018</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
        </TIMETABLE_LIST>
        <RFA_REQUIRED>No</RFA_REQUIRED>
        <SMALL_ENTITY_LIST>
            <SMALL_ENTITY>No</SMALL_ENTITY>
        </SMALL_ENTITY_LIST>
        <GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>None</GOVT_LEVEL>
        </GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
        <FEDERALISM>No</FEDERALISM>
        <ENERGY_AFFECTED>No</ENERGY_AFFECTED>
        <PRINT_PAPER>No</PRINT_PAPER>
        <INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>No</INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>
        <AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
            <CONTACT>
                <FIRST_NAME>Scott</FIRST_NAME>
                <LAST_NAME>Weidenfeller</LAST_NAME>
                <TITLE>Vice Chief Administrative Patent Judge</TITLE>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>0651</CODE>
                    <NAME>Patent and Trademark Office</NAME>
                    <ACRONYM>PTO</ACRONYM>
                </AGENCY>
                <PHONE>571 272-9797</PHONE>
                <FAX>571 273-9797</FAX>
                <EMAIL>scott.weidenfeller@uspto.gov</EMAIL>
                <MAILING_ADDRESS>
                    <STREET_ADDRESS>600 Dulany Street,</STREET_ADDRESS>
                    <CITY>Alexandria</CITY>
                    <STATE>VA</STATE>
                    <ZIP>22313</ZIP>
                </MAILING_ADDRESS>
            </CONTACT>
        </AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
    </RIN_INFO>
</REGINFO_RIN_DATA>
