When did the USPTO stop accepting inter partes reexamination requests?
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) stopped accepting inter partes reexamination requests on September 16, 2012. This is clearly stated in MPEP 2631: “No requests for inter partes reexamination may be filed on or after September 16, 2012.“
This change was implemented as part of the America Invents Act (AIA), which introduced new post-grant review procedures, including inter partes review, to replace inter partes reexamination.
To learn more:
Topics:
MPEP 2600 - Optional Inter Partes Reexamination,
MPEP 2631 - Processing Of Request Corrections,
Patent Law,
Patent Procedure