As expected, the USPTO has filed a Notice of Appeal in the Exelixis patent term adjustment (PTA) case. As I summarized in this article, in a decision issued November 1, 2012 in Exelixis, Inc. v. Kappos, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found that the USPTO’s interpretation and application of the “RCE carve-out” provision of the Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) statute is contrary to law. Under the district court’s interpretation, 35 USC § 154(b)(1)(B)(i) only comes into play if a Request for Continued Examination (RCE) is filed within the three-year period from the application’s filing date. Under this interpretation, a significantly greater number of patents may be entitled to significantly greater PTA awards. It will be interesting to see if Exelixis or amici urge a fall-back interpretation of the RCE carve-out, such as the interpretation discussed in this article.
Disclaimer
This blog is made available by Foley & Lardner LLP (“Foley” or “the Firm”) for informational purposes only. It is not meant to convey the Firm’s legal position on behalf of any client, nor is it intended to convey specific legal advice. Any opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Foley & Lardner LLP, its partners, or its clients. Accordingly, do not act upon this information without seeking counsel from a licensed attorney. This blog is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Communicating with Foley through this website by email, blog post, or otherwise, does not create an attorney-client relationship for any legal matter. Therefore, any communication or material you transmit to Foley through this blog, whether by email, blog post or any other manner, will not be treated as confidential or proprietary. The information on this blog is published “AS IS” and is not guaranteed to be complete, accurate, and or up-to-date. Foley makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation or content of the site. Foley expressly disclaims all other guarantees, warranties, conditions and representations of any kind, either express or implied, whether arising under any statute, law, commercial use or otherwise, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement. In no event shall Foley or any of its partners, officers, employees, agents or affiliates be liable, directly or indirectly, under any theory of law (contract, tort, negligence or otherwise), to you or anyone else, for any claims, losses or damages, direct, indirect special, incidental, punitive or consequential, resulting from or occasioned by the creation, use of or reliance on this site (including information and other content) or any third party websites or the information, resources or material accessed through any such websites. In some jurisdictions, the contents of this blog may be considered Attorney Advertising. If applicable, please note that prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Photographs are for dramatization purposes only and may include models. Likenesses do not necessarily imply current client, partnership or employee status.
Related Insights
23 January 2025
Innovative Technology Insights
New York’s Proposed Health Information Privacy Act Takes Aim at Digital Health Companies
The New York Health Information Privacy Act (NYHIPA), if enacted, could create a chilling effect on patient access and engagement to readily available digital health care services relied upon by New Yorkers.
23 January 2025
Manufacturing Industry Advisor
What Every Multinational Company Should Know About … Managing Import Risks Under the New Trump Administration (Part II): The Implications of President Trump’s “America First Trade Memorandum”
During his campaign, President Trump often stated that he would be implementing an “America First” international trade policy, which he said explicitly would include higher tariffs, potentially on imports from the entire world.
22 January 2025
Innovative Technology Insights
Executive Order on Strengthening and Promoting Innovation in the Nation’s Cybersecurity and Potential Implications Under the Trump Administration
On January 16, 2025, President Joe Biden signed the “Executive Order on Strengthening and Promoting Innovation in the Nation’s Cybersecurity.”