What is an appeal conference in patent examination?

An appeal conference is a mandatory process in patent examination when an acceptable brief has been filed. According to MPEP 1207.01, An appeal conference is mandatory in all cases in which an acceptable brief ( MPEP § 1205 ) has been filed. The purpose of this conference is to review the merits of the issues on appeal and consider potential changes to the rejection.

The conference typically involves three participants:

• The examiner preparing the examiner’s answer
• A supervisory patent examiner (SPE)
• Another experienced examiner as a conferee

To learn more:

• appeal conference
• patent examination
• USPTO
• patent appeal process