Summary from the Federal Register
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is extending the Motion to Amend (MTA) pilot program, initiated on March 15, 2019, and previously extended up to September 16, 2024. The MTA pilot program provides additional options for a patent owner who files an MTA before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). In particular, the MTA pilot program provides a patent owner who files an MTA with options to request preliminary guidance from the PTAB on the MTA and to file a revised MTA. The MTA pilot program also provides timelines for briefing to accommodate these options.
Dates
Applicable Date: September 17, 2024. Duration: The MTA pilot program will run until March 31, 2025, or earlier if replaced by a permanent program after notice-and-comment rulemaking. The USPTO may extend the MTA pilot program (with or without modification) on either a temporary or a permanent basis or may discontinue the MTA pilot program, after that date.