Menu Close

16 Art Units are Fully Reversed on over 50% of appeals

Sync and Share All Your Calendars with CalendarBridge
Sponsored

The table below shows the appeal outcomes for BPAI/PTAB decisions since 2010 for art units with at least 20 decisions in that time period.

Although the headline of this post is negative (sadly, negative headlines get much higher click rates), first some good news:

70% of art units are completely AFFIRMED in most of their appeals.

I say this is good news because without consistency, every other refinement or proposed refinement of the patent system is a waste of time. That 70% of art units are usually affirmed (i.e., affirmed at least 51% of the time) suggests that the examiner and the BPAI/PTAB are generally on the same page. (Whether they are both on the right page is another question entirely.)

Now the bad news from the headline:

16 art units are completely REVERSED in most of their appeals.

16 art units have been completely reversed in at least 51% of their appeals since 2010. This seems way too high. Again, we are not talking about whether the rejections themselves are proper, we are just talking about the examining corps and the BPAI agreeing as to what is proper. It should not be this hard.

Prosecutors should know what they are dealing with

When deciding whether to appeal you should know the stats for the examiner and art unit you are up against. If, for example, you are dealing with art unit 3721 which has been fully reversed an astounding 289 out of 474 decisions since 2010 (no surprise to readers of MrIPLaw), maybe you want to take your chances on appeal. And/or maybe you want to file a continuation with claim language that might get you out of that art unit! Coincidentally, I just so happen to provide a tool where you can check out those statistics 😉

Art UnitDecisionsAffirmedReversedIn-Part
399295765%16%19%
374278323%57%20%
374466843%40%17%
373162739%44%17%
362357855%33%12%
376253837%43%20%
179149865%24%11%
372147423%61%16%
371147446%35%19%
216645946%32%22%
376345039%39%22%
399344658%20%23%
362643362%24%14%
373741946%36%18%
368541846%37%16%
176541371%23%6%
368641254%33%14%
368940161%23%16%
376139832%55%13%
374539247%34%19%
362738150%36%14%
362838066%26%9%
245137652%35%13%
372435749%36%14%
376535539%39%22%
179335462%29%9%
216835358%29%13%
173334663%29%7%
264934461%27%13%
245634361%26%13%
365734240%43%17%
244334249%33%18%
369134159%29%12%
244433945%38%17%
176733269%24%8%
362932960%29%12%
216932556%29%15%
216132253%33%14%
376632134%47%19%
163132158%31%10%
161231863%28%10%
215931460%29%11%
362431358%30%12%
264531372%18%10%
215631050%35%15%
218430951%35%14%
178730963%29%8%
161630875%18%8%
378830546%37%17%
216430053%33%14%
371530055%30%15%
368729947%40%13%
216329844%43%14%
217429858%31%11%
399129772%16%12%
362229050%36%14%
161129069%22%9%
171628951%40%8%
178228465%27%8%
174128359%33%8%
262528354%31%14%
161828260%30%11%
218528255%29%15%
375328140%38%22%
178628062%32%6%
176127570%21%8%
375427441%38%21%
242427462%25%14%
216227246%37%17%
171527259%31%10%
162727161%28%11%
171227164%28%8%
215726855%30%15%
369526860%26%13%
364626631%52%17%
242726670%17%13%
177126570%23%7%
245226467%23%9%
178326256%34%9%
362126252%32%16%
369426258%31%11%
174726271%23%6%
216525853%31%16%
244825754%30%16%
244525758%27%14%
264625770%19%12%
176225667%28%5%
373825532%45%22%
243425465%23%13%
173525362%30%8%
178925264%27%9%
178825163%30%7%
378125038%36%26%
374124850%31%20%
217224857%27%16%
373624735%45%20%
173224766%28%6%
374824335%50%15%
245724344%36%19%
363524239%46%15%
261724254%34%12%
368224255%31%14%
212824260%27%14%
245324149%30%22%
172624056%35%9%
217724060%24%16%
242123870%20%10%
217323771%20%8%
373223647%34%18%
218323556%33%11%
215823352%37%11%
217523349%34%17%
261323356%33%12%
216723359%30%11%
368823154%31%15%
368323163%28%9%
375223030%51%18%
162823069%23%9%
179223067%23%11%
373522953%32%15%
364322632%49%19%
243922557%27%16%
249122564%21%14%
285422460%34%6%
173422356%35%9%
369322363%26%12%
264222263%24%14%
366322143%43%14%
249222068%21%11%
377421943%42%14%
377521643%39%19%
364921660%31%10%
217621661%26%13%
261221663%24%14%
374321534%43%22%
214221566%20%14%
179721254%34%12%
283521250%33%17%
246821255%30%15%
363721247%30%23%
171421147%41%12%
214121157%27%16%
268921166%21%13%
217821058%29%14%
171120951%32%17%
362520968%21%11%
377720836%46%18%
178520756%33%11%
174220758%32%10%
378220761%24%15%
174620772%21%7%
164420666%24%10%
176320678%16%6%
172920546%42%11%
365420537%40%24%
372320428%51%21%
161320369%25%6%
363420239%42%19%
242620270%20%9%
367120149%33%18%
173120056%35%10%
368120051%33%17%
245420059%23%19%
161519962%29%9%
261819755%29%16%
176419772%17%11%
367919641%32%27%
244219658%27%16%
161919671%22%7%
287519550%34%15%
371419547%33%21%
174519562%32%6%
219119564%26%11%
217919570%18%12%
367319337%40%23%
247819358%26%16%
177719149%41%10%
376719027%54%19%
287219048%41%11%
244719056%33%11%
248618945%43%12%
172718960%33%7%
161718965%25%10%
219418962%25%13%
363318739%40%21%
283718748%38%14%
283618757%35%7%
377118750%35%16%
243318652%34%14%
264118663%23%13%
371618550%35%15%
268318466%21%13%
364418239%45%16%
262818256%27%16%
361718144%36%20%
217118155%27%18%
372518041%42%17%
284217949%41%11%
263117956%29%15%
215517853%35%12%
365217643%37%20%
261417664%28%8%
163317463%34%3%
374617458%30%11%
365117330%53%17%
366417334%46%21%
377817346%34%20%
283317358%29%13%
247717360%28%13%
246617369%20%11%
247617264%24%12%
369217164%27%8%
176617074%19%6%
374716934%56%10%
244116959%26%15%
246116964%24%11%
365316842%42%17%
242516875%15%10%
178116760%31%9%
377216630%48%22%
364516646%36%19%
261116661%29%10%
264416663%22%15%
215416543%44%13%
372616550%32%18%
372816544%31%25%
219316564%22%14%
243716570%20%10%
211116562%20%18%
363216143%39%18%
243516166%20%14%
246216054%33%14%
288115946%42%13%
265815961%31%8%
376915953%26%21%
365615730%52%18%
368415546%37%16%
163415561%28%11%
371715442%36%23%
179815455%32%13%
373915349%37%14%
281415260%28%13%
288415257%25%18%
366215139%48%13%
366515145%38%17%
248315148%38%15%
363815147%32%21%
165115160%30%10%
162115163%30%7%
212315161%26%13%
289415051%38%11%
262415049%34%17%
172214853%36%11%
248214851%36%13%
171714853%34%12%
177214861%30%9%
245514862%23%15%
244914558%32%10%
177314456%36%8%
248714453%31%15%
262114462%26%12%
285614366%25%9%
219714372%19%9%
373314242%38%20%
367714248%31%21%
264814258%20%23%
242314275%15%11%
372714142%41%17%
374914142%37%21%
367614150%35%14%
377314037%45%18%
248514047%42%11%
248413954%40%6%
177413857%29%14%
249313763%23%14%
177813651%38%10%
364113647%35%18%
178413663%29%9%
268213662%23%15%
211413567%21%11%
172313457%34%8%
211313463%23%13%
264313470%22%7%
265913463%21%16%
171313352%35%14%
285913349%35%17%
261613149%37%14%
163713059%32%8%
243112955%33%12%
369612973%19%8%
175612861%28%11%
366112746%39%14%
263212761%28%12%
269612769%23%9%
268812658%29%13%
282912554%38%7%
377912442%48%10%
268612469%24%6%
249512469%19%11%
246512354%33%12%
218112359%29%11%
246712360%24%15%
219612279%15%7%
243812161%27%12%
283412053%36%11%
243212064%23%13%
172511957%38%5%
248111952%36%12%
262711966%26%8%
367411847%41%12%
363111848%31%20%
285711858%29%13%
246911861%26%13%
247311755%32%13%
361811641%40%19%
162911672%19%9%
363611542%37%22%
281111556%26%18%
265611369%19%12%
242211250%35%15%
376811249%30%21%
262211155%32%14%
246311164%25%11%
269511156%25%19%
288311050%42%8%
285311051%41%8%
282811060%36%4%
266611052%30%18%
218211060%26%14%
249411060%21%19%
367510837%47%16%
179510849%41%10%
172110861%25%14%
165510870%19%11%
218610751%38%10%
367210759%21%20%
265710775%19%7%
281610647%44%8%
164810552%34%13%
269410559%27%14%
264710559%25%16%
373410445%39%15%
243610466%18%15%
289210354%40%6%
366710233%53%14%
361110245%31%24%
165310162%30%8%
179610162%29%9%
176810175%15%10%
281810046%46%8%
213610058%35%7%
262610056%31%13%
165710063%30%7%
26919960%29%11%
21279857%36%7%
17449864%29%7%
28479862%24%13%
16529748%39%12%
37649738%39%23%
28589648%38%15%
21329659%26%15%
17249546%44%9%
24589553%35%13%
28939557%33%11%
21929553%32%16%
26629559%28%13%
17369572%25%3%
16329452%38%10%
26759450%34%16%
28239456%28%16%
21999471%20%9%
21449365%29%6%
17549250%41%9%
37299134%58%8%
26659168%15%16%
17999053%38%9%
17589052%36%12%
28139074%17%9%
21538949%37%13%
21218972%12%16%
36688843%48%9%
26298843%41%16%
16458849%40%11%
28828857%30%14%
26928856%22%23%
26978870%19%10%
26518865%17%18%
26378757%29%14%
26238766%24%10%
21358766%21%14%
36558627%52%21%
28388648%41%12%
16368655%37%8%
28768656%30%14%
28158659%26%15%
28878662%23%15%
24798555%33%12%
36128545%31%25%
28658460%31%10%
26198456%30%14%
26338460%26%14%
26368464%21%14%
17798336%52%12%
17758252%38%10%
26858271%15%15%
26528164%28%7%
17598168%25%7%
17768168%22%10%
21898049%33%19%
26778055%29%16%
28917957%29%14%
26677958%28%14%
36477841%42%17%
26937847%35%18%
21297758%35%6%
26687756%31%13%
37767749%31%19%
24887761%27%12%
24977756%25%19%
16567664%33%3%
26847679%8%13%
17437552%40%8%
16497555%37%8%
24747559%33%8%
26727567%31%3%
16747459%36%4%
16417454%35%11%
21457454%30%16%
28647459%28%12%
24647464%19%18%
26767371%18%11%
37187231%49%21%
28447247%38%15%
21267253%32%15%
28317254%29%17%
36167246%29%25%
36977269%19%11%
16717060%36%4%
26747056%33%11%
28857060%26%14%
21316939%38%23%
21126951%35%14%
36696942%35%23%
26636971%22%7%
28716854%41%4%
28956853%38%9%
17186866%28%6%
21396748%40%12%
16426751%36%13%
26556752%28%19%
16256650%41%9%
16736683%12%5%
36586548%38%14%
24466555%35%9%
28976557%34%9%
21166565%20%15%
37516439%44%17%
24986357%27%16%
21176367%19%14%
28556156%33%11%
28746152%30%18%
26696172%23%5%
28996050%43%7%
28866053%30%17%
28266067%27%7%
24596067%20%13%
26876075%15%10%
24115954%32%14%
21875961%31%8%
24755971%17%12%
28245978%15%7%
16235845%31%24%
21335852%29%19%
17555862%24%14%
16475871%19%10%
24125753%37%11%
16435758%32%11%
21225774%19%7%
28515655%29%16%
16265558%38%4%
21885542%36%22%
28455567%25%7%
16755567%24%9%
36785452%24%24%
26615470%19%11%
26995364%30%6%
24715358%30%11%
24145370%26%4%
21375375%21%4%
28635263%33%4%
16245248%33%19%
24135258%25%17%
28175263%15%21%
37865145%37%18%
28985149%33%18%
28785159%24%18%
16465074%24%2%
21955072%20%8%
24725054%18%28%
26714933%49%18%
26544963%27%10%
21524953%22%24%
28964860%33%6%
26734856%23%21%
26644869%21%10%
28224661%26%13%
16394452%41%7%
26344455%34%11%
28624470%20%9%
28484358%37%5%
21384367%28%5%
16624173%22%5%
28124065%33%3%
16384060%33%8%
28523956%33%10%
21433962%28%10%
17943855%39%5%
28323847%34%18%
21253858%24%18%
16353658%25%17%
21983669%22%8%
24893543%46%11%
24163450%38%12%
37223444%35%21%
21243468%24%9%
37833135%39%26%
16783171%19%10%
16773165%16%19%
28253037%53%10%
16543050%40%10%
28773053%30%17%
28793070%17%13%
26533087%10%3%
21153077%7%17%
28192955%28%17%
36592857%36%7%
26812861%29%11%
28682756%30%15%
16222536%60%4%
24962564%28%8%
28272450%33%17%
OPQA2361%17%22%
21182259%18%23%
16762162%29%10%
28662167%24%10%
24152176%19%5%

2 Comments

  1. Pingback:Patent Riffs & Links for Aug 27, 2018

  2. Pingback:Patent Riffs & Links for Aug 28, 2018

Comments are closed.