PATENT REEXAMINATION

The U.S Patent and Trademark Office or USPTO conducts reexamination on an already issued patent to validate the claims and scope of the patent. The original patent holder normally requests a patent reexamination when it feels another party has created a product that infringes on its patent. Both parties may state their cases in writing, and then the USPTO will make its judgment. Patent reexamination is believed to be faster and cheaper way to settle patent disputes than through litigation.