Date: October 17, 2025

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has announced an important reform restoring the authority to institute post-grant reviews (Inter Partes Review and Post-Grant Review) to the USPTO Director. (see letter)

This change increases transparency and accountability in the patent challenge process and strengthens protections for independent inventors and small entities.

By ensuring that only the Director—not the Patent Trial and Appeal Board—may decide whether a patent challenge proceeds, the USPTO is reinforcing its statutory framework and public trust in the patent system.

For inventors and early-stage companies, including those developing the Com Teams® family of governance technologies, this reform provides greater stability for newly issued patents, reducing exposure to post-grant attack and improving the long-term security and value of protected intellectual property.

This update reflects a broader national commitment to innovation fairness and supports our ongoing mission to advance governed collaboration between humans and AI within a transparent, ethical framework.