Next Steps on the USPTO Sensitive Application Warning System

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Next Steps on the USPTO Sensitive Application Warning System Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:56 AM PST The USPTO has now offered some public information regarding its secretive Sensitive Application Warning System with the apt acronym: SAWS. [LINK]  SAWS came to light after it was ‘leaked’ by examiners and Devon Rolf has written about his experience with the program on IP Watchdog. The basic idea is that examiners have been encouraged to flag applications that claim “highly controversial” or those that might create “unwanted media coverage.”  Those applications are then tiered and then before allowance must be approved by either a technology center director or upper PTO management. A major problem with the program of course is that none of the heightened reviews are made of-record.  Thus, neither the applicants nor the public are told which applications are up for review or whether the review is following any semblance of legal process. My position is that the USPTO is right to allocate more time and energy on applications whose claims are clearly very broad in a way that would significantly alter the marketplace.  Of course, the review cannot be directed at avoiding USPTO embarrassment but rather to ensure that the issued patent complies with the law of patentability.  Avoiding embarrassment will be a secondary benefit.  As I mentioned above, the real problem here is the Office’s continued secrecy in this front.  We do not know which applications have been chosen, why they were chosen, or whether the level of review follows the law.  Because nothing is done on record, applicants likewise have no recourse regarding potential political capture of the examination process. After the SAWS reports were leaked (and on my private suggestion) the office finally publicly admitted that the program exists and has provided some information regarding its progress. [SAWS] is one of many practical, internal efforts that the USPTO has in place to ensure that only the highest quality patents are issued by the Agency.  {DC What are the other internal efforsts?} By bringing an additional quality assurance check to a very small number of pending patent applications, the USPTO helps ensure that those applications that could potentially be of special interest, are properly issued or properly denied.    An application flagged for such a quality assurance check undergoes the same types of examination procedures as any other patent application, and is held to the same substantive patentability standards. In terms of numbers, the USPTO also reported that only about 0.04% of applications fall into the program.  This is only one application out of every 2,500 considered — the message here is “trust us – we’re just dealing with the oddballs.”  Overall, it looks like about 1,000 applications have been part of this particular program. [USPTO SAWS DISCLOSURE] I have requested that the USPTO provide a list of publicly-available applications that have been flagged for the SAWS program. Thus far, the USPTO has refused – claiming that the list of applications is privileged under exemption (b)(5) of FOIA.  My position is that privilege is not applicable to protect this list – especially based upon the tradition and legal requirements that examination be done on the written record with proper notice. See 35 U.S.C s132 and 37 C.F.R. s1.104.