A makeover in the works for patent law

In 2013, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will begin to implement the America Invents Act. The 2011 law is the biggest change to patent law in decades, partly because it changes one of the key criteria for awarding a patent.

Starting March 16, the United States will move to a “first to file” system. That means the inventor who first submits his application to the USPTO wins a potential dispute over who can claim priority.

The U.S. previously used a “first to invent” system, which required patent examiners to try to determine who had first made a discovery or…