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USPTO Proposes Updated Professional Conduct Rules |
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October 18, 2012
Press Release, 12-65
USPTO Proposes Updated Professional Conduct Rules
New rules will correspond to the
ABA and most state bar requirements
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO) announced today its proposal to update the USPTO Code of Professional Responsibility to
conform to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct of the American Bar Association (ABA), versions of which have
been adopted by 49 states and the District of Columbia. The USPTO is seeking public comments on the proposal for a
period of 60 days, ending December 17, 2012.
This proposed rule package adopts most ABA provisions
wholesale or with minor revisions and codifies many professional responsibility obligations that already apply to
the practice of law. Specifically, the proposed rules will streamline practitioners’ professional responsibility
obligations, bringing USPTO obligations in line with most practitioners’ state bar requirements. The package also
proposes to eliminate the annual practitioner maintenance fee.
A comparison chart of the ABA Model Rules of
Professional Conduct and the proposed USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct, along with information regarding the
package is located on the USPTO’s website at:
www.uspto.gov/ip/boards/oed/ethics.jsp.
Comments should be sent by email to ethicsrules.comments@uspto.gov or by mail to: Mail Stop OED-Ethics Rules, United States Patent and Trademark
Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450, marked to the attention of William R. Covey, Deputy
General Counsel for Enrollment and Discipline and Director of the Office of Enrollment and Discipline.
For
non-media queries about the new rules, contact William R. Covey at (571) 272-4097 or at
will.covey@uspto.govwill.covey@uspto.gov.
SStay current
with the USPTO by subscribing to receive e-mail updates. Visit our Subscription Center at
www.uspto.gov/subscribe.
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