From Janet Gongola, Patent Reform Coordinator:
On July 26, 2012, the USPTO published a notice of proposed rulemaking and a notice of proposed examination guidelines to implement the first-inventor-to-file (FITF) provisions of the AIA. The notices set a comment deadline date of October 5, 2012. The USPTO has received several requests for additional time to submit comments. Therefore, the USPTO is reopening the comment period to provide interested members of the public with an additional opportunity to submit comments to the USPTO.
The new deadline for receipt of written comments in response to both the notice of proposed rulemaking and the notice of proposed examination guidelines to implement the first-inventor-to-file provisions of the AIA is November 5, 2012.
The proposed rules along with already-submitted commentary can be found here: http://www.uspto.gov/patents/law/comments/fitf_guidance.jsp. Discussion of whether the AIA eliminates Secret Prior Art is here.
