Message from the Editor-in-Chief

October 2016 -

Our final issue of Volume 47 of the BPLA newsletter focuses heavily on post-grant proceedings at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. One article provides advice on how to successfully amend claims in an review, while another article sets the stage for the next significant battle that will occur on that very topic when the Federal Circuit sits for . A third article posits that more practitioners should be considering reexamination for challenging patent claims. The America Invents Act wasn’t the only recent legislation to usher in a sea of change however. An article in this edition asserts that the Defend Trade Secrets Act will become the statute of choice for addressing trade secret misappropriation in United States district courts and at the International Trade Commission. Another article highlights a recent Federal Circuit decision that breathes new life into software patents. Be sure to also read about the BPLA’s amicus brief that was filed in the case, the most recent iteration of the BPLA’s program, and an educational program hosted by Sunstein Kann Murphy & Timber about restoring the patent system. Members should also be sure to review the nominations for the BPLA Officers and Board of Governors for 2016-2017, the proposed membership by-law change to encourage more government employees to join and attend events, and minutes from last year’s Annual Meeting. All three items will be voted on by the membership at the upcoming . I have truly enjoyed the opportunity to work on and shape the BPLA newsletter over the course of the past year, and I hope our readers have found the content both informative and useful. I look forward to seeing many of you in about a month at the Annual Meeting, if not sooner.