[Patentpractice] One Interview per Round?

[Alan Taboada]

We had an examiner tell us that they were instructed to have NO interviews – apparently due to the large backlog of cases and in an effort to spend more time examining and less time chatting on the phone with pesky applicants and/or their attorneys.


From: Patentpractice <patentpractice-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com> On Behalf Of Timothy Snowden via Patentpractice
Sent: Monday, October 6, 2025 3:52 PM
To: patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com
Cc: Timothy Snowden <tdsnowden at outlook.com>
Subject: Re: [Patentpractice] One Interview per Round?


I had an examiner tell me the same thing.
On 10/3/2025 3:10 PM, Judith S via Patentpractice wrote:
An examiner in a recent interview told me that the examining corps just received a memo indicating that they are only permitted one interview for a ‘round,' which means from filing through RCE.


The Patent Examiner subreddit confirms:

https://link.edgepilot.com/s/614d03ad/QcT-hnKatU2pSi7WaJhCCw?u=https://www.reddit.com/r/patentexaminer/comments/1nw58wc/stakeholders_they_just_effectively_limited_you_to/


Commenters are suggesting that patent attorneys need to step up and push to change this policy, because otherwise we'll be getting a lot of interview denials.

I hope this memo predates the new head of the PTO, but I fear it does not.

Judith




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