01/22/19

The American Association of Patent Judges

The American Association of Patent Judges

The Honorable Hubert C. Lorin

We are pleased to announce the formation of The American Association of Patent Judges (AAPJ). Since March 2, 1861,1 when an appeal to three Examiners-In-Chief (EIC) in the Patent Office was first provided for, approximately 489 individuals have served as an EIC, or its descendant, an Administrative Patent Judge (APJ). In the fall of 2015, several members of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office envisioned an educational and charitable organization to honor of all those EICs and APJs who have served and who continue to contribute to the stewardship of the patent provision in the Intellectual Property Clause of the United States Constitution. The AAPJ is the culmination of that vision.

The AAPJ was incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia on January 8, 2018. A Board of Directors has been elected and various committees established. The AAPJ started business on July 1, 2018. The AAPJ invites all interested persons to join. There are three main classes of membership:

• Active Members of the Board: for current members of the PTAB, as defined in 35 U.S.C. § 6 (a);

• Non-Active Members of the Board: for former members of the PTAB and its predecessors, such as the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences(BPAI); and,

• Associate Members: for those associated with the PTAB, such as, but not limited to, current and former Patent Attorneys and Administrative Staff.

The Board of Directors may also grant honorary membership to individuals. For more information, please visit www.aapj.us or send an email to email@aapj.us.

In keeping with its charitable and educational character, some of the AAPJ’s purposes are to be a repository of institutional knowledge and an educator on the history, tradition and culture of the PTAB and its predecessors. Social activities in support of these purposes are being planned. The AAPJ aims to reflect the dedication of all patent judges in the promotion of strong intellectual property rights for the benefit of our Nation’s progress.

The AAPJ thanks the Journal of the Patent and Trademark Office Society for the opportunity to make this announcement.

100 J. Pat. & Trademark Off. Soc’y 386(2018)

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