Model Patent Prosecution Templates
AIPLA's Patent Law Committee maintains a collection of sample documents related to day-to-day patent prosecution. These documents are exemplary and may not be ideal for every situation. Use them at your own risk.*
Member log-in required to access files.
Model Response Shells:
Each of these documents contains a comprehensive shell document that can be used to formulate a response to 35 U.S.C. 112, 102, 103, or 101 rejections made by a patent examiner during prosecution.
Model Appeal Brief: (Doc) (PDF)
This document contains the overall structure of appeal brief with a section for drafting responses to point out error in rejections made in 35 U.S.C. 112, 102, 103, 101, and obviousness-type double patenting rejections. The model appeal brief includes summaries of the relevant portions of the PTAB’s designated informative and precedential decisions applicable to ex parte appeals along with associated Federal Circuit case law.
Model Reply Brief: (Doc) (PDF)
This document contains the overall structure of a reply brief along with relevant case law summaries to use for handling new grounds of rejection in an Examiner’s Answer.
*Nothing included in these sample documents or elsewhere on this site should be considered legal advise on the part of AIPLA or any of its members.
-
2025 IP Practice in Japan Pre-Meeting - Rancho Mirage, CA
January 27 to 28, 2025
The IP Practice in Japan Committee is planning a pre-meeting before the 2025 Leadership Forum. The program will run a full-day on Monday, January 27 and in the morning for half-day on Tuesday, January 28. -
2025 Leadership Forum
January 29 to 30, 2025
AIPLA Leadership Forum – Elevate Yourself, Inspire the Future. This invitation-only two-day program will address building strong leadership skills for all levels of experience. See the program page for important event details. -
AIPLA CLE Webinar: Practitioner Harmonization: Now and the Future
February 19, 2025 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM | Up to 90 Mins Ethics CLE Pending
This webinar presents a panel discussion over partnership, fee sharing, and forming a law firm between patent attorneys and patent agents, as authorized practitioners of law, and patent agent-client privilege from a global perspective. The panel will revisit ABA Model Rule §5.4 and USPTO Rule 37 CFR §11 and relevant case laws. The discussion will also cover efforts of the National Association of Patent Practitioners (NAPP) for the Patent Practitioner Harmonization, the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) Resolution supporting such harmonization and its advocacy on global privilege harmonization., and the 2021 changes in the regulation of legal practice in Arizona. The panel will discuss the status quo, challenges, and how the legal society and stakeholders can benefit from Patent Practitioner Harmonization.