Reissue, Reexamination, and Supplemental Examination Strategies and Insights – October 2026

In the mid-2000s, the U.S. Patent Office (USPTO) determined that reexaminations would be more consistent and legally correct if performed by a centralized set of experienced and specially trained Examiners. As a result, the USPTO formed the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) and staffed it with 15 year+ Examiners and legal experts. Later, after the loss of Inter Partes Reexamination in 2012, the USPTO added all newly filed reissue applications to the CRU Examiner’s regime.

Sterne Kessler’s utility and design reissue, reexamination, and supplemental examination team will share practice tips and insights into prosecuting these proceedings before this specialized examination group within the USPTO.

This month, we discuss 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) and the many cases interpreting its proper use from Williamson to the recent decision in TrackTime and examine why inter partes reviews may be experiencing a partial rebound.

In This Issue:

• The Federal Circuit Requires a Deeper § 112(f) Inquiry in TrackTime v. Amazon
• Why Inter Partes Reviews May Be on the Rebound (Originally printed in Law360 on October 26, 2026)