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AIPLA regularly provides comments to different agencies within the U.S. government, as well as to other domestic organizations, on matters impacting intellectual property laws and protection.

 

Internal Revenue Service
  • AIPLA Testimony on proposed revisions to 26 C.F.R. Parts 1 and 301, delivered February 21, 2008 before the Internal Revenue Service. (PDF)
  • AIPLA Response to the October 2007 rule proposed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on “Patented Transactions,”submitted December 26, 2007 (3 pages - 37K* - Click PDF to view the Response; click HERE to view the IRS proposed rule (10/22/2007)
National Academy of Sciences
  • ​AIPLA Response to the National Research Council's Report on Reaping The Benefits of Genomic and Proteomic Research (31 pages –197K* Click HEREto view the Response; For information on the Report: Reaping the Benefits of Genomic and Proteomic Research: Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation, and Public Health, please visit The National Academies Press by clicking HERE.)
  • AIPLA Response to the National Academies Report entitled "A Patent System for the 21st Century" (49 pages–243K* Click PDF to view the Response; Click PDF to view the Report.)
National Institutes of Health
  • Comments on Draft Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services: "Public Consultation Draft Report on Gene Patents and Licensing Practices and Their Impact on Patient Access to Genetic Tests" 74(52) Federal Register 11730 (March 19, 2009) ( PDF)
National Institute of Standards and Technology
  • AIPLA Comments to NIST on March-In Rights Guidance, February 5, 2024 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Feedback to NIST Draft Green Paper on ROI Initiative February 8, 2019 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Response NIST Bayh-Dole Regulation, Dec 9, 2016 (PDF​)​
  • AIPLA Comments to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (National Science and Technology Council's Sub-Committee on Standards) on Standardization Feedback for Sub-Committee on Standards, February 18, 2011 (PDF)​
US Customs and Border Protection
  • AIPLA Comments to U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Customs 21st Century Framework, February 2, 2019 (PDF)​​
  • AIPLA Comments to U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Proposed Rulemaking, "Disclosure of Information for Certain Intellectual Property Rights Enforced at the Border," June 25, 2012 (PDF)​​
US International Trade Commission
  • AIPLA Comments on the International Trade Commission’s Investigation of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement), May 3, 2023 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments on Proposed Amendments to the Commission's Rules of General Application, Adjudication and Enforcement, November 23, 2015 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments on Commission FY2015 Budget and Space for Section 337 Investigations, May 19, 2014 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments to U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator in Response to Request for Public Comments:  "Interagency Review of Exclusion Order Enforcement Process," July 19, 2013 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments on "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Rules of General Application, Adjudication, and Enforcement,” December 4, 2012 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments on "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Rules of General Application, Adjudication, and Enforcement,” September 17, 2012 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments on Proposed Revisions to Rules of Practice and Procedure and Proposed Handbook on Filing Procedures, August 5, 2011 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments on proposed revisions to 19 C.F.R. Sections 201 and 210, filed March 19, 2008 at the US International Trade Commission (PDF)
US Securities and Exchange Commission
  • AIPLA Comments to Concept Release on Business and Financial Disclosure Required by Regulation S-K​, August 9, 2016 (PDF)​
US Trade Representative 
  • Letter Submitted to the Office of the US Trade Representative Supporting US Opposition to TRIPS Waiver Proposal, March 30, 2021 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments on the Draft Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Relating to Civil or Commercial Matters, March 19, 2018 (PDF)​
  • AIPLA and PhRMA Comments on Draft Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Relating to Civil or Commercial Matters​ Currently Being Negotiated at The Hague Conference on Private International Law​, July 19, 2017 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments on the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement ("ACTA" or "Agreement") and the ongoing negotiations between the possible Member States, submitted September 27, 2010. (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments on the Proposed Amendment and Correction of Trademark Registrations published in the Federal Register on December 18, 2003 (Comments submitted February 2, 2004) (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments on the "Work Program set forth in the draft Ministerial Declaration submitted by the WTO General Council and WTO Director-General for consideration at the Fourth Session of the Ministerial Conference scheduled for Doha, Qatar next month" (October 11, 2001) (PDF​)
Other

AIPLA Files Comments to Health and Human Services (HHS) on the World Health Organization's (WHO) Proposed Pandemic Treaty

  • AIPLA Comments to HHS on WHO Pandemic Treaty, January 31, 2024 (PDF)

AIPLA Files Comments on Proposed Final Pretrial Conference Pilot and Order

  • AIPLA Files Comments on Proposed Final Pretrial Conference Pilot and Order, August 26, 2022 (PDF)

AIPLA Comments to ACUS on Patent Small Claims Court

  • AIPLA Comments on a Potential Small Claims Patent Court or Small Claims Patent Proceeding and its Impacts, July 5, 2022 (PDF)

Regarding the Position of the USPTO Director

  • AIPLA Comments to the Department of Commerce Regarding the Position of USPTO Director, June 28, 2017 (PDF​)
  • AIPLA White Paper Concerning the Recommended Qualifications for the Next Director and Deputy Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, November 2013 (PDF)​

​Office of the Presidential Transition

  • AIPLA Letter to Biden Administration, February 26, 2021 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Letter to President-Elect Donald Trump, January 4, 2017 (PDF​​)​

U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator

  • AIPLA Comments to U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator on Development of the Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement, December 3, 2018 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments to U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator on Development of the Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement, October 30, 2015 (PDF)​
  • AIPLA Comments to U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator in Response to Request for Public Comments:  "Interagency Review of Exclusion Order Enforcement Process," July 19, 2013 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments to OMB Regarding Negative Impact of Sequestration on USPTO Funding and Operations, May 21, 2013 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments to U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator in Response to Request for Public Comments for "Trade Secret Theft Strategy Legislative Review," April 22, 2013 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments to U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator on Development of the Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement, August 10, 2012 (PDF)​

The Sedona Conference

  • AIPLA Comments on the Sedona Conference Report on the Markman Process, submitted February 2, 2007 (PDF)
  • AIPLA Comments on the Revised April 2005 Public Comment Draft" of The Sedona Guidelines: Best Practices Addressing Protective Orders, Confidentiality & Public Access in Civil Cases (the "Draft Guidelines"). Filed May 14, 2006. (PDF)
  • Letter expressing initial concerns of AIPLA on the Revised April 2005 Public Comment Draft" of The Sedona Guidelines: Best Practices Addressing Protective Orders, Confidentiality & Public Access in Civil Cases (the "Draft Guidelines"). Filed March 10, 2006. (PDF)

Miscellaneous

  • AIPLA Joint Comments to Mayor Eric Garcetti in Support of the Anti-Piracy Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department, March 9, 2018 (PDF)

In This Section

Recent Advocacy

Written July 19, 2021

On July 19, 2021, AIPLA submitted comments to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) regarding the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) Regarding Changes to Implement Provisions of the Trademark Modernization Act (TMA) of 2020. The comments addressed seven aspects of the NPRM: (1) ex parte expungement and reexamination proceedings; (2) the petition filing fee; (3) the identification of the real party in interest in a petition; (4) flexible response periods; (5) letters of protest; (6) attorney recognition; and (7) the proposed burden hours for private sector respondents.

AIPLA supported clarifying Proposed Rule 2.91(c) and Proposed Rule 2.91(d)(3), recommended that the USPTO consider adopting a separate rule specifically dealing with submissions in support of ex parte petitions for expungement and reexamination, and expressed concern with the USPTO’s reliance on 37 C.F.R. § 11.303(d), requesting clarification on whether this duty of candor continues after submission of a petition. AIPLA also wrote that the USPTO should include in the final rules a requirement for the Director to issue a decision within a certain amount of time and specify the consequences of an unmet deadline. AIPLA supported allowing the registrant an opportunity to cure defects in its response to a petition and raised some concerns regarding response time, recommending that the Office permit reasonable extensions of time for good cause shown.

AIPLA encouraged the USPTO to address the intended relationship between requests for reconsideration and appeals and to clarify whether a registrant will receive an opportunity to appeal after a denial. The comments also recommended addressing the applicable standards of review following a determination in an ex parte proceeding that the registrant has not rebutted a prima facie case of nonuse.

Regarding the filing fee, AIPLA recommended a reduction to $400 or lower. Alternatively, the Office should extend a refund of $200 per class filed in cases where the respondent does not reply to the petition. AIPLA offered additional modifications if the USPTO decides to implement flexible response periods and did not support applying flexible response periods to post-registration Office Actions.

AIPLA opposed the USPTO’s plan to remove the name of any attorney whose recognition was deemed to have ended from the current attorney-of-record field in their database and recommended that attorneys affirmatively remove themselves from the record if they so choose. AIPLA also did not support the imposition of a new 30-day requirement for attorneys to withdraw in cases in which the practitioner is discharged and wrote that the onus should be on the owner to provide the attorney update.

AIPLA submitted that the estimated burden hours are underestimated, recommending that the Office should provide more realistic estimates that take into account the time to collect and assemble and verify evidence, and draft the petition or response.

To read the full comments, please download the file.