Brinckerhoff Comments on Iancu’s Legacy as USPTO Director

Partner Courtenay Brinckerhoff was quoted in a Law360 article, “Iancu Leaves Pro-Patentee Legacy As USPTO Director,” about how former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Andrei Iancu, who resigned on Wednesday after nearly three years on the job, will be remembered by practitioners.

Brinckerhoff said Iancu issued guidance that aims to establish a consistent approach to eligibility across the office, the result being that examiners and the PTAB are now on the same page on eligibility, with a consistent rubric that makes outcomes more predictable. “The most impactful thing for my practice is his efforts on the patent eligibility morass that the courts have created,” she said. “He really took a strong position on establishing guidelines for the examiners to apply.”