"The year 2025 was one of profound change at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The magnitude and rate at which changes were implemented is unprecedented. The size and role of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) in America Invents Act (AIA) proceedings like inter partes reviews (IPRs) was completely overhauled. Acting USPTO Director Coke Stewart started the ball rolling at the beginning of the year and Director John Squires, once confirmed in September, accelerated the pace."
"The Office issued a flurry of guidance memos, revamping everything from how the PTAB operates to how patent eligibility is evaluated. The USPTO workforce was under attack, starting with DOGE and its "fork in the road" memo that has become a parable for how not to fix government. The number of Administrative Patent Judges (APJs) was reduced from about 230 at the end of the Biden administration to about 180 APJs at present."
2025 brought rapid, unprecedented reforms at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with leadership changes that accelerated policy shifts. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board's size and role in America Invents Act proceedings, including inter partes reviews, were overhauled. Acting Director Coke Stewart and Director John Squires issued guidance memos reshaping PTAB operations and patent eligibility evaluation. An "Interim Processes for PTAB Workload Management" memo on March 26 changed how institution decisions for IPR trials are made. Leadership described a crisis from a large unexamined application backlog and sought to rebalance the pendulum on IPRs. The workforce faced upheaval, including contentious memos and a reduction in Administrative Patent Judges from about 230 to about 180.
Read at IPWatchdog.com | Patents & Intellectual Property Law
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