On September 16, 2011, President Obama signed into law the Leahy Smith America Invents Act, which ushers in the most sweeping changes to United States patent law in over 50 years. This Act, more commonly known as the AIA, presents many challenges to individuals and businesses seeking to protect their intellectual property rights. Portions of the AIA were effective immediately, while others will go into effect in September 2012 and March 2013. This article seeks to summarize the most relevant changes presented by the AIA, as well as identify areas of uncertainty arising from both the new law and the delayed implementation of some of its provisions.
