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<p
style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Libre Franklin", "Helvetica Neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">As
I described in<span> </span><a
href="https://blog.oppedahl.com/has-the-uspto-just-been-given-freedom-from-notice-and-comment-requirements/"
style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-decoration: none; box-shadow: rgb(15, 15, 15) 0px -1px 0px inset; transition: color 80ms ease-in 0s, box-shadow 130ms ease-in-out 0s, -webkit-box-shadow 130ms ease-in-out 0s;"
moz-do-not-send="true">this blog article</a>, I fear that a
recent opinion from a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals
for the Federal Circuit will signal to the USPTO that going
forward, it can duck the APA’s notice-and-comment requirements by
arbitrarily deeming any rulemaking it does as merely “procedural”.</p>
<p
style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Libre Franklin", "Helvetica Neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">It
seems to me that what needs to happen next is a rehearing, or a
rehearing<span> </span><em
style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">en banc</em>,
at the Federal Circuit, on this case (<em
style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">In re Chestek
PLLC</em>, February 13, 2024,<span> </span><a
href="https://blog.oppedahl.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240113-opinion.pdf"
style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-decoration: none; box-shadow: rgb(15, 15, 15) 0px -1px 0px inset; transition: color 80ms ease-in 0s, box-shadow 130ms ease-in-out 0s, -webkit-box-shadow 130ms ease-in-out 0s;"
moz-do-not-send="true">slip opinion</a>).</p>
<p
style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Libre Franklin", "Helvetica Neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">There
are two ways that your help is needed. See <a
href="https://blog.oppedahl.com/pursuing-rehearing-and-rehearing-en-banc-in-the-no-more-notice-and-comment-needed-opinion/"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext" moz-do-not-send="true">https://blog.oppedahl.com/pursuing-rehearing-and-rehearing-en-banc-in-the-no-more-notice-and-comment-needed-opinion/</a>
.<span><br>
</span></p>
<p
style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Libre Franklin", "Helvetica Neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span><br>
</span></p>
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