Foley Partner Harold Wegner was quoted in Intellectual Property Watch on February 13, 2009 in an article titled “US Debates Patent Exam Deferrals; Patent Reform Bill Expected This Year.” Wegner provides his insight into a deferred examination procedure being considered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office to help reduce the backlog of the more than 770 million patent applications that have not yet been looked at. He notes that deferred examination, a practice not frequently used in the United States, will have a domino effect as to whether the United States will efficiently proceed with patent worksharing.
