Reengineering US patent law with the America Invents Act

On September 16, 2011, President Barack Obama signed the Leahy–Smith America Invents Act (AIA). That signature kick-started what is considered to be the most substantial overhaul of United States patent law since enactment of the present Patent Act in 1952. The AIA implemented the changes in three stages across an 18-month timeline:

  • September 2011—implementation of a wide variety of miscellaneous changes;
  • September 2012—implementation of changes challenging the validity of patents before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); and
  • March 2013—the US changed from a first-to-invent regime to a first-to-file regime.

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