If you have time, I would recommend attending the USPTO’s Virtual Instructor Led Training (vILT). The training is great background for patent prosecutors because it is typically identical to what is provided to patent examiners. The Office is working through a multi-part course on how it examines 35 U.S.C. § 103 and the next 2-hour course is called Obviousness Part 2: “Writing Rejections.”
- How to establish a prima facie case
- Rationale for combining prior art
- Communicating a rejection
Although it is online, the PTO is still limiting enrollment because it is an interactive course. For questions email vILT@USPTO.GOV or go to this link. Part 1 covered obviousness rejections and you can see the materials here. Part III will focus on “examining evidence.”
Meanwhile, consider attending the PTO’s symposium on cross-border trade secrecy on May 11.
-Dennis