Patent Office Requiring In-Person Hearings Starting in September

The US Patent and Trademark Office announced Wednesday it’s requiring all parties to appear in person for hearings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

The new attendance policy will apply starting Sept. 1, according to the bulletin. The hearings will be held at one of the PTO’s offices, the bulletin said, and parties are required to attend the hearings in person “absent a showing of good cause.”

“Good cause will generally be limited to circumstances such as financial hardship, medical emergencies, or other comparable obstacles to in-person attendance,” the notice said. It emphasized that approval of one party ...