Stanford Technology Law Review 2009-2010 academic symposium: PTO Reform.” width=


The Symposium, scheduled for February 26, 2010, will showcase vibrant legal scholarship on current role of the PTO, the various avenues for change, and the implications of any reform efforts. Current scholarship plays an essential role in expanding the legal thinking on the extent to which the PTO is the proper vehicle for enacting patent reform. The Symposium will feature scholars, practitioners, and current and former PTO personnel all sharing their perspectives, concerns, and thoughts. Our goal is to create a comprehensive dialogue on this pressing topic, and to foster the development of creative new ideas.

We envision a Symposium with sufficient breadth of scope to address the most exciting issues emerging in this field, including the following issues:

  • “Quality” and “Pendency”: Drilling Down to “Backlog,” “Deferred Examination,” “Patent Worksharing” and Other Integers to Achieve Primary Goals by Hal Wegner
  • Patent Examination Policy and the Societal Costs of Patent Allowance and Rejection Errors by Ron Katznelson
  • Examiner Characteristics and the Patent Grant Rate by Mark Lemley & Bhaven Sampat

Our goal is to create a comprehensive dialogue on PTO Reform and to foster the development of creative new ideas, and the Stanford Technology Law Review invites you to attend to take part in this dialogue.

Registration: Please use this form to register for the Symposium.