After being closed for more than two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the USPTO has opened all locations to employees and resumed some public in-person events. That said, PTAB hearings and TTAB hearings are still being conducted by video/telephone only. The USPTO has not indicated when in-person hearings might resume.

Coronavirus Precautions

Still mindful of the pandemic, the USPTO is implementing some coronavirus precautions.

• Visitors are to review a health questionnaire and “may not enter facilities if they answer ‘yes’ to any of the questions.”

• In communities with low or medium Covid-19 transmission levels, wearing a mask is optional.

• In communities with high Covid-19 transmission levels, wearing a mask is mandatory. 

The USPTO’s main campus is located in Alexandria, Virginia, which currently is experiencing a medium transmission rate according to the CDC website.

In-Person Events

It is not surprising that most upcoming USPTO events are still virtual, but there is one in-person event on the calendar already, at the Dallas Regional Office on June 15:

Learn How To Conduct A Patent Search
June 15, 2022 10:00 AM CT
USPTO —Texas
207 S. Houston St. #159
Dallas, TX 75202

Examiner Interviews?

The USPTO’s announcement does not specifically mention in-person examiner interviews, which of course would require the examiner to be present at a USPTO site. Even pre-pandemic the USPTO had a generous telework policy, so it will be interesting to see how many examiners return to work on-campus. Maybe those that do will welcome the opportunity to conduct in-person interviews with stakeholders who still believe face-to-face meetings can be more productive than video conferences.