Patent Appeals via Videoconference

The Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (BPAI) has begun to allow oral arguments from attorneys in remote locations (such as Chicago) using a video/audio feed.  The PTO has created a new "Electronic Hearing Room" that will allow for oral hearings in both ex parte and inter partes proceedings.
While three administrative patent or trademark judges preside from the USPTO in Alexandria, Va., an attorney can present a client’s case from anywhere around the globe with equipment capable of dialing Standard - H.320 (ISDN) protocol.

As the attorneys make their case, the judges will be able to watch your every move through their 50 inch plasma screen.