WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced in a press release that the new claims and continuations rules will go into effect on November 1, 2007.

These new rules were two years in the making and are based on extensive research, outreach to thousands of applicants, and comments from over 500 patent stakeholders in response to the original Notices of Proposed Rule Making which were published in the Federal Register in January 2006.

The USPTO is certain that these rules will make the patent process more effective and efficient and we appreciate your cooperation. To ensure a smooth transition on November 1st, USPTO is clarifying certain provisions of the rules and making some procedural adjustments.

An Official Gazette notice describing can be downloaded by clicking here