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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Aptos Display&quot;,sans-serif">Except that verschlimmbessern refers to an attempt to make something better that ends up making it worse.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Aptos Display&quot;,sans-serif">I have ZERO faith that the USPTO is genuinely trying to make anything better. They are merely making changes so they can cross things off their list&#8230;without any real
 consideration on the functionality or impact of those changes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:#8E515A;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Catherine A. Van Houten</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:#8E515A;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;color:#B95835;background:white;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">|
</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:#8E515A;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">she/her/hers</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:#8E515A;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Director of Intellectual Property Administration<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:#797979;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">McNeill PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:#797979;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Mailing address for physical documents<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:#797979;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">245 First Street, 18<sup>th</sup> Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:#797979;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:#797979;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">t: 617.430.4740 x802&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;color:#B95835;background:white;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">|&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:#797979;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">m:
 301.848.5729 </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;color:#B95825;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">|</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:#C00000;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:#797979;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">fax:
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:catherine.vanhouten@mcneilliplaw.com"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">email</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;color:#B95835;background:white;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">|</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.mcneilliplaw.com/"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">website</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;color:#B95835;background:white;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">|&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-van-houten-8727b14a/"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">LinkedIn</span></a><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;color:#767171;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Please note our new firm name and new email addresses. For a period of time, we will continue to receive mail at our old
 email addresses.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif"> Patentcenter &lt;patentcenter-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com&gt;
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Richard Straussman via Patentcenter<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, October 17, 2024 8:55 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> users of Patentcenter &lt;patentcenter@oppedahl-lists.com&gt;<br>
<b>Cc:</b> Richard Straussman &lt;rstraussman@weitzmanip.com&gt;<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Patentcenter] Off Topic - Kind of<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Today I learned a new German word that seems so applicable to PatentCenter I had to share it:&nbsp; verschlimmbessern.&nbsp;
<br>
<br>
I am advised that it means to take something bad and try to make it better, but in the process, you make it worse than before.&nbsp; We NEED a word like that in English - particularly for many recent PTO &quot;improvements&quot;!!<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">-- <br>
<strong><span style="font-family:&quot;Verdana&quot;,sans-serif;color:blue">Richard Straussman</span></strong><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:&quot;Verdana&quot;,sans-serif;color:navy"><br>
</span></b><span class="c4"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Senior Counsel</span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Verdana&quot;,sans-serif"><br>
</span></b><span class="c6"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt">Registered Patent Attorney</span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Verdana&quot;,sans-serif"><br>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Verdana&quot;,sans-serif"><br>
<strong><span style="font-family:&quot;Verdana&quot;,sans-serif;color:maroon">Weitzman Law Offices, LLC</span></strong><span style="color:maroon"><br>
<strong><span style="font-family:&quot;Verdana&quot;,sans-serif">Intellectual Property Law</span></strong><br>
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