USPTO and PTAB Updates - July 2025: Latest Developments in Patent Trial and Appeal Board Operations at the United States Patent and Trademark Office
In the realm of intellectual property, recent developments have been unfolding at a brisk pace. Here's a summary of some key updates that have caught our attention.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has seen a series of significant changes. As of early July 2025, John Squires' nomination as USPTO Director has been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee with a strong 20-2 vote on June 12, 2025 [1][2][5]. However, as of now, there is no information indicating that the full Senate has confirmed him yet.
Regarding the replacement for Thomas Shaw as the Acting Chief Administrative Trademark Judge at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), the search results do not provide any information about who will replace Thomas Shaw or any update concerning leadership changes at the TTAB. Thus, this information is currently unavailable from the provided sources.
In the patent arena, several cases have seen notable outcomes. Vizio, Inc. v. Polaris PowerLED Technologies, LLC has had a decision delegated for review by a Delegated Rehearing Panel, but the Panel has since denied rehearing. TikTok Inc. has also been in the spotlight, with a Director Review granted to consider patent owner's request to vacate the Board's institution decision in TikTok Inc. v. Cellspin Soft, Inc.
In another development, the Accelerated Examination program for utility applications will be terminated by the USPTO, effective July 10. This move is aimed at streamlining the application process and ensuring a more consistent review.
The USPTO has been taking a firm stance against false representations. They will begin imposing penalties on patent applicants that falsely represent small or micro entity status. This decision comes after the USPTO issued a combined notice of payment deficiency and order to show cause as to why a fine should not be assessed when it makes a preliminary determination that a pending patent application contains a false assertion or certification of small or micro entity status.
Trademark regulations have also seen modifications. The USPTO has modified U.S. trademark regulations to allow for submission of partial replacement requests for trademarks, effective July 2, 2025.
Meanwhile, the USPTO has been actively addressing infringements. The USPTO issued a precedential administrative Final Order sanctioning foreign filing firm Stelcore Management Services for failing to comply with the Office's rules governing signatures on official documents.
In other cases, decisions have been vacated and remanded for further proceedings. This includes CrowdStrike, Inc. v. GoSecure, Inc., Arista Networks, Inc. v. Orckit Corp., and Mastercard Inc. v. OV Loop, Inc. In the case of Verizon Connect Inc. v. Omega Patents, LLC, the proceeding has been terminated.
Lastly, it's worth noting that there are no new proposed rules or interim rules at this time.
In summary:
| Position | Current Status | |-----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------| | USPTO Director (John Squires) | Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee; awaiting full Senate confirmation | | Acting Chief Administrative Trademark Judge (TTAB) | No information available on the successor to Thomas Shaw |
If you need more updated information on TTAB leadership changes, further inquiries or official USPTO announcements after July 2025 may be necessary.
Politics: The approval of John Squires' nomination as USPTO Director by the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 12, 2025, signifies a significant move in the realm of politics, as his confirmation by the full Senate is yet to be announced.
General News: In the general news, the USPTO has made a series of changes, one being the termination of the Accelerated Examination program for utility applications effective July 10, a decision aimed at streamlining the application process.
