On September 16, 2011, President Obama signed into law the America Invents Act, the most important modification to U.S. patent law in 60 years—and some even argue, since 1836. Some changes went into effect immediately, such as fee penalties for submitting paper applications and strict rules on when multiple defendants can be joined together in one lawsuit.
These immediate changes were not as important to most inventors and tech companies. Instead, the big focus has been on the switch from the “first-to-invent” guideline for awarding patents to a “first-to-file.” Another change of great interest are the new types of challenges that can be used by third parties to prevent a patent from issuing, or to get it revoked. The changes in patent challenges take effect on September 16, while the new first-to-file rule begins next year, on March 16.
To read the full, original article click on this link: 5 Things to Do Before the New Patent Law Takes Full Effect | Xconomy
