Testimonials
We have received hundreds and hundreds of letters, e-mail and phone calls from students that have used our materials to successfully pass the patent bar. The vast majority are just
an exuberant, "I passed (hoorah); thanks a lot." Many others are a more complete record of the users thoughts and feelings about our course. Of the correspondence that falls into the second
category, we have reproduced a small sample below (each is totally complete and unedited).
David Meeks
Program Director
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Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 07:36:48 -0800 (PST)
From: jonathan david
Subject: patent bar result
To: director@patbar.com
Dave,
I passed the patent bar this past saturday. I am so
happy. thanks for your help and support. Your program
is fantastic.
Having the old exams and practicing with them online
is priceless. Thanks again. This definitely puts my
career path on a much different path.
Feel free to use this e-mail as a testimonial!
Take care,
Jonathan B. David, 2/11/08,
Northeastern Law School class of 08
From: "S*****"
To: director@patbar.com
Subject: Thank You!
Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:17:26 -0800
Mr. Meeks:
I am so very proud to announce that I passed the Patent Bar today on my very
first attempt!!!!
Your materials were instrumental in my success for two reasons: 1) The
materials are precisely condensed to focus on parts of the MPEP that will
most likely be tested and 2) the test taking software really allowed me to
sharpen my test taking skills. I reviewed the materials and took the
simulated exams multiple times. I am living proof that with the tools you
provide and some dedication, it can be done.
The smart charts were very handy as well. All those CFRs can become unwieldy
- and the smart charts really kept things nice and organized.
Also, thank you for updating my expired materials without requiring me to
repurchase the entire package. That helped me out tremendously.
Keep up the good work!
S*****
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:55:42 -0800 (PST)
From: J*****
Subject: Re: Prior PTO exam questions
To: David Meeks director@patbar.com
Dear David,
It is my pleasure to share with you the good news that
I passed the PTO exam last week. I would like to let
you know that I really appreciate the materials you
developed, as well as the timely response you provided
for my questions. Thanks again.
Best rgeards,
J*****
Subject: Thank You!
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:03:54 -0400
From: "J*****"
To: "David Meeks" director@patbar.com
Dear David,
Thank you for saving me a lot of money and for helping me to pass the
Patent Bar exam. I passed on my first try.
I'm sure there are many different ways to use the Patbar.com materials.
In my case, I listened to all of the CDs in the car on the way to and
from work, and used only the "last minute curriculum" as a reference
when going through the practice questions. That took about two months,
as I was working full-time as an attorney. With about two weeks left
before the exam, I concentrated on the online practice exams. Learning
how to navigate the electronic MPEP to find answers to exam questions
was extremely useful.
Kindest regards,
J*****
From: Matthew *****
To: director@patbar.com
Subject: Thank you!
Date: 5/30/2007 5:29 PM
Mr. Meeks,
I wanted to write a note of gratitude for your course--the Smartcharts were especially helpful
I passed on my first attempt!
Best,
Matt
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
Subject: Re: Patent Bar
Date: 5/30/2007 3:49 AM
David:
I am writing to say thanks for answering all of my many questions relating
to the patent bar study. I passed the exam on May 10, 2007 thanks to your
thorough course and advice on searching the MPEP.
Sincerely,
Ron *****
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
Subject: exam
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 01:12:11 +0000
Dear David:
I am happy to report to you that I have passed the computer based exam earlier today. It was my first attempt, and of course I am overjoyed at having passed the exam.
I write to thank you for the course and for timely, courteous e-mail replies. I want to give you some feedback regarding my experience with the computer exam I took today (10-17-06):
1. I felt that there was a disproportionately heavy emphasis on PCT, reexam, appellate practice, reissue and correction of patents on this exam in comparison with the practice exams. I previously wrote to you regarding my concerns about the change in emphasis in areas covered on the exam. Your response was that the student would be fully prepared, and my success substantiates your claim. Towards the end of the exam, I was sure that I would fail because the emphasis was so different but I was pleasantly surprized! Understanding the thought, policy and rules behind each practice question in the course will help those who are preparing for this very difficult exam.
2. I had little if any difficult with looking up material on the computer. The one thing I had to learn for the exam today was that after clicking on a certain reference for research, clicking again on the area for changing the size of the image on the page would display the material I was seeking. This was only a mild change from the practice I received on the CD in the course.
3. The practice on the CD in the course was very valuable.
Thank you again for this course. I am still a little shocked at having passed it, but am very glad. My wife and kids are glad too because they now have me back in their lives.
One last question: it's one thing to pass the exam, it's quite another to actually start the in the business of writing patents. Any advice regarding books, seminars etc on getting started in being a patent attorney is welcome. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Alex *****
From: "Paul *****"
To: "'David Meeks'" director@patbar.com
Subject: RE: Test
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2006 19:23:14 -0700
Hi David
Well, third time's the charm, after all. I passed the test today. Thank you
for all of your help in answering my questions, and for making the course
available. The material really helped.
Paul
---
Thanks, David. I took the test a second time on May 11. Studied more and did
worse (65). I plan to take it again before Oct. 17. Maybe third time's the
charm. Wish me luck.
Paul
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 19:17:25 -0700 (PDT)
From: Eric *****
Subject: Thank you!
To: director@patbar.com
Dear David,
I just wanted to let you know that I passed the Patent Bar on my first attempt and I cannot thank you more. I attend school part-time in the evenings and work full-time in drug research, so my time is obviously at a premium. Because your course is separated into manageable segments, I could study at my own pace and when time permitted. I passed only a couple of weeks ago and have already been contacted by potential employers. Thank you again for your program.
Sincerely,
Eric *****
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2006 18:05:18 -0400
From: "Caroline *****"
To: "director@patbar.com" director@patbar.com
Subject: Re: Important Notice
Hi David-
I just wanted to let you know that I passed the exam on Saturday. Yea!
And now I have one last question for you - how should I list this on resume?
Thanks for everything-
Sincerely,
Caroline *****
p.s. let me know if you'd like more details on my study habits or the types of questions that were on the exam for you notes
To: David Meeks director@patbar.com
From: Chuck *****
Subject: I Passed!
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 00:01:55 -0500
I passed! I know you get these e-mails all the time, but I wanted to
send one anyway. First, thank you for responding to my questions. I
know of other programs where help is not so forthcoming. I really felt
like I got my money's worth from your program.
Second, the practice questions and exam software you provided made the
difference. In fact, I recognized some questions on the test and
automatically knew the correct answer, which saved time. However, the
exam software was really key to passing. Your explanations that
included the appropriate MPEP/CFR/USC section helped me learn which
search terms to use to find the appropriate rule/law. By the time I
took the exam, I knew exactly where to look and which search terms to
use.
Glad it's over! Now I can concentrate on finishing law school.
All the best,
--Chuck *****
To: director@patbar.com
From: "Scott *****"
Subject: Patent Bar
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2006 15:40:14 -0400
Mr. Meeks,
I am excited to let you know I passed the Patent Bar today on my first
try. I have studied the PatBar manuals consistently since January 7th.
There were several questions from the practice exams in the PatBar
materials that were on the actual exam.
As I suspected, there were several questions regarding PCT practices in
chapter 1800. There were also an increased number of questions
relating to Reexamination proceedings (this was a surprise to me).
Thank you for being so prompt to respond to the questions I had while I
have been preparing for this exam. I'm relieved I only had to go
through this once.
Sincerely,
Scott *****
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 00:05:23 -0400
From: Tuvia *****
Reply-To: Tuvia *****
To: director@patbar.com
Subject: good news
Dear Mr. Meeks,
Thank you so much for an excellent program. I just passed the patent bar on my first try today! I apologize for the barrage of questions that I threw
at you in those last frenzied hours prior to the exam.
Tuvia
To: "David Meeks" director@patbar.com
Subject: Re: How To Proceed In the Next 2 Weeks
From: "Seth *****"
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 22:41:08 +0000 GMT
Hey Dave
I just wanted to let you know that I took the uspto exam on august 4th and I passed on my first try. I wanted to thank you personally as I thought you
self study course was the key to my success.
Thanks again and best wishes.
Seth *****
1L
Univ of Utah SJ Quinney College of Law
From: "Gregory *****"
To: director@patbar.com
Subject: thank you
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 19:47:39 -0400
Mr. Meeks,
I'm writing to share good news. I passed the patent bar exam on my first
try, using your kit as my study guide. I bought your kit in Nov 2004. We
spoke briefly on the phone at that time. I appreciate that advice you gave
me regarding taking my time to learn the material and to learn it well. The
winter and spring were more hectic than I expected, with work and family
obligations, but I consistently made time to study. With concentrated
effort in studying and taking practice exams in June and July, I passed the
computer based exam on July 29 without a problem. I enjoyed your course. I
found two things most useful, the focused study guide and the numerous
practice problems. I'll be starting law school in the fall, and will be
glad to know that I've already taken care of the USPTO registration process.
Thank you.
Gregory *****
From: "*****, Kahlil"
To: 'David Meeks'
Subject: I passed!
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2005 10:27:20 -0400
Hi David,
I just received my notice from the USPTO, and I passed the exam! I just wanted to thank you for all of your help and giving me the materials I needed to pass the first time. I found the explanations of the MPEP in the core curriculum in addition to the in-depth MPEP to be a tremendous help. With that, your availability via email for further explanation of the material was instrumental in solidifying the concepts for me and something that I didn't even expect from a home study course. Most of all, the exam simulation suite CD was phenomenal. It really helped me prepare for true exam conditions so that when I went in for the real thing, there were no surprises. With such great results, I can't see why someone would spend three times the cost on another course.
Thank you for the tools to help me accomplish this task.
Kahlil *****
Subject: "Patent Bar" Exam
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2005 09:22:16 -0400
From: "*****, Art"
To: director@patbar.com
David,
I just received my letter from the USPTO informing me that I passed the examination that I took on May 24th. I certainly could not have done this without your training program. It was indispensable, especially the exam simulator. It helped me prepare for the physical side of the exam (e.g. 2 X 3 hours of staring at a screen), as well as mastering the electronic format MPEP. Also, your modular approach was just what I needed as that put the material into pieces small enough that you could study them carefully and then do matching exam questions to test your understanding.
Thanks again
Arthur *****
Patent Associate
Office of Technolgy Commercialization
Rensselear Polytechnic Institute
From: "Thomas *****"
To: director@patbar.com
Subject: Passing Grade
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2005 19:05:01 -0400
Mr. Meeks,
Thank you for you wonderful course. I only had a basic knowledge of patents, yet I had no trouble passing the Agency exam on my first try. Now, if I only had the same success with the LSAT.
Thanks
Tom
Subject: I Passed First Time !
Date: Fri, 13 May 2005 08:02:01 -0700
From: "*****, Scott"
To: director@patbar.com
May 13, 2005
David,
I am pleased to let you know that I passed the Patent Registration Exam the first time I took the test! There is no doubt in my mind that my success was entirely due to your comprehensive preparation. I especially liked your exam simulator - the real test was just like my study sessions. I cannot imagine a more efficient use of my time and money to obtain this important credential.
Thank you,
Scott *****
Technical Marketing Manager
Intel Corp.
From: "John *****"
To: director@patbar.com
Subject: Thank-you Mr. Meeks
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 07:17:28 -0500
I received notice last night that I passed the exam. I am very happy. I consider your course to be the best course out there. Thank-you.
Sincerely,
J.*.*.
From: "Grant *"
To: "'David Meeks'"
Subject: RE: Patent Bar Results
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 10:29:46 -0400
Mr. Meeks,
I was going to send you all a separate email but ran out of time last night.
Thank you for your help along the way. Probably the most benficial part of the whole program was the Exam Simuation Suite. It was a very good tool in getting preparing in the few weeks leading up to the exam.
Additionally, it was always nice to be able to drop you an email when I had a question and receive a quick email with a very useful response.
Of course I am curious to see exactly how I did. Is there any way to find out the results? I know it doesn't matter, just my curiousty.
Again, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Grant *****
Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 16:08:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: Eric *****
Subject: Success!
To: director@patbar.com
Dear Mr. Meeks,
I am extremely pleased to report to you that I passed the patent bar. Your materials and study program layout were top notch and a perfect match for the nature of the examination and its testing methods. I sincerely appreciate all the work that you put into making such an effective preparation program, and I'm pleased to be able to share this good news with you. The Exam Simulation Suite CD was absolutely great, and gave me the chance to get used to the kind of environment used on the exam. I am finishing law school in the next month, and I have a real new sense of confidence in my future employment prospects and among my peers. If anyone asks me who I used for the patent bar, I say it proudly: Patbar.com . My sincere thanks to you for your help in preparing for and passing this examination.
Best Regards,
Eric *****
Subject: Patent Bar Results
Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 15:56:50 -0400
From: "Grant *****"
To: [multiple]
Hi everyone, you all seemed interested in the results of the patent bar I took in early April, so here you go. I passed! AMEN!!! Now I get to study for finals. Hopefully this will help me find a job, key word "hopefully", nothing else seems to work.
Anyway, hope you all are well. Take care.
Grant--
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 16:02:57 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael *****
Subject: Patent Bar
To: David Meeks
Mr. Meeks,
I just thought I would inform you that I have passed the patent bar using only your study materials.
I wanted to take this time to thank you for all of your emails since I started studying. I will recommend your program to anyone that asks me for advice on the subject.
Have a great day!
Mike *****
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 3:39 AM
From: Kyle *****
To: director@patbar.com
Subject: Another Patbar.com Success Story
Mr. Meeks-
Although I only had a couple of opportunities to talk to you directly over the phone during the course of my participation in your Patbar home study program, I wanted to thank you again and let
you know that you have yet another success story to add to your testimonials- I took the patent bar through Prometric in November and just yesterday received the glorious news that I
passed!
I am currently a first year law student and began preparing with your course only weeks after completing my undergrad degree in electrical engineering. Despite knowing next to nothing about
patent law or law in general and armed only with your materials, I was nonetheless able to put myself in position to sit for the patent bar with confidence and pass! Thank you!
The Exam Simulation Suite CD was especially helpful- dead on! Your program is worth every penny!
Kyle
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 4:34 PM
From: David *****
To: director@patbar.com
Subject: Exam Result
Greetings,
A note to let you know I took the exam in September and passed. I doubt I would have done so well without your home study box set. And now I am an official patent agent. Thanks for all your help
and patience! My friends and family are all very proud and my former co-workers who are still software engineers are impressed. I think they sense the authenticity of the career change and the
discipline involved in doing it.
Now to find steady employment...
Some day maybe in 10 years I'll go to law school.
-D*
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 13:39:42 -0700 (PDT)
From: Walter *****
To: David Meeks director@patbar.com
Subject: Re: AM 2001
David,
I have wonderful news!
I did take the exam on 8/20, and as of our last communication I was passing in the simulator, and I did pass the actual exam! I just got my results back, and I have no idea by what margin I
passed, but I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me through this. I have already received a whole slew of letters from placement firms. Additionally, my professor gave me a
look when I told him, followed by a "that's impressive, it is difficult to pass on the first try." The few students at school that had already passed were welcoming, as though I had joined their
group. Also the students that I know that want to take the patent bar look at me differently now.
The exam simulation suite CD was probably the most important of all of the elements of the course. I keep a copy of the MPEP on my computer now for my patent course that I'm currently taking (I'm
a 2-L now). I found it to be an incredibly useful resource.
I am now starting my job search for next spring/summer.If you have any advice for students that have no experience in prosecution, but have passed the bar, I would appreciate any advice you could
proffer.
And again, thank you so much for helping me through this.
-Walter
Subject: Patent Bar Results
Date: 10/7/2004
Greetings Mr. Meeks,
Just thought you might like to know that I received a passing score on the Registration Exam.
Thanks for the course.
And thanks for being accessible to answer all my questions.
Gilbert J. Villaflor
Subject: Passed Prometric Computer Exam
Date: 10/4/2004
You may use the following email as a testimonial if you would like.
David,
I used the patbar course to prepare for the new computerized examination administered by Prometric, and I received a letter today indicating that I passed!!!!!! I took the exam before starting
law school, and I knew nothing about the MPEP prior to starting your course. I found your modules to be very manageable and I found the prior exam questions at the end of each module to be
particularly helpful in identifying which topics I needed to focus on more. Before taking the exam, I researched all of the different patent registration examination review courses and found
yours to be the most affordable while still providing all of the material necessary for someone without a legal background to pass the exam. I would highly recommend your home study kit for
anyone looking to prepare for this exam, as this is not an exam that can be prepared for without some help. Your course is extremely helpful in that it focuses on the heavily tested areas while
still providing a grounding in every topic. Additionally, I have spoken with numerous people that have taken the new computerized examination, and nearly all of them indicated that they found it
extremely difficult and did not feel confident about how they had done. Having utilized your course, however, I felt well prepared and confident!
Sincerely,
J. Andrew
Subject: Patent Bar Results
Date: 10/5/2004
David,
I received my patent bar results today and I passed! I cannot thank you and the other folks at patbar.com for your exceptional program and excellent support. My success was a direct result of
your concise balanced program.
Thank you!
Josh
Subject: Passed Exam
Date: 10/4/2004
Dear David Meeks,
I figure you like to hear results of those using your materials, so...
I purchased the materials in April and passed the exam on 9/2/04.
Regards,
Blayne
Subject: success
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2003 12:55:28 -0600
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
Dear Sir:
I passed the October 2002 registration exam because I bought and studied the PatBar.com Home Study Kit.
In 1998 my employer bought the Patent Resources Group self-study materials. The long scholarly treatises overwhelmed me, and I was in the majority of examinees who failed the notoriously
difficult August 1998 exam.
Due to a change in jobs and the humiliation of failing in 1998 I did not attempt the exam again until 2002. I purchased your materials because of the modular approach and the relatively low cost.
I diligently studied the Core Curriculum book and worked the Prior Exam Questions. The reasonably sized modules of procedures/rules/instructions coupled with pertinent prior exam questions
converted the vast mass of testable material into manageable bites of knowledge. The Last-Minute book reinforced important concepts, and, more importantly, provided a small condensed version that
I could study the day before the exam.
You sell a good product at a good price. I recommend it to anyone who can learn by reading and who has the discipline to study the material.
Sincerely,
Royce *****
ps: The survey form I just received from Patent Resources Group prompted me to send you this note. I wonder if their ridiculous statistics on their competition come from this survey.
Subject: thanks and more
Date: Sat, 4 Jan 2003 02:01:44 -0800 (PST)
From: "T. *****"
To: director@patbar.com
Hi there,
I purchased your materials back in late spring, and took the October patent examination -- and passed! Your materials were helpful, and I would recommend them to others. I wanted to comment on
the little red binder of 'last minute curriculum' topics. While I didn't use it much during my study preparations, it's handy to have now as I prepare for interviews. I'm a first-year law student
with a PhD in Chemistry, and at this writing, at least one employer has been very impressed by the fact that I took (and passed!) the exam, and invited me for an interview. While I don't expect
questions about the subject material from the exam, as I'm only a 1L student, I appreciate the red binder for helping me brush up on important subjects in case questions come up.
I wish I could tell you how much time I put into studying, but it was a couple hours a day for the 63 days of modules, plus taking 4 previous exams and going over the answers twice. I started on
July 1st. The last time I went over the previous exams was in the few days before the exam, and that sealed the "Pass" for me!
Thanks for such an affordable set of materials. Your easy email access was also appreciated for answering questions. I passed on my first try and am glad for my investment.
-Tamara *****
Subject: I made it:)
Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2002 21:37:21 -0800
From: "Arman ***** Esq."
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc." <director@patbar.com>
Dear Mr. Meeks:
Last week I received a letter from the USPTO stating that I have passed the October examination for registration. Just shortly prior to that I had learned about my successful passing of the
California Bar Examination.
I would like to thank you for the excellent program that helped me succeed on the USPTO examination. Your self-study program was one of the most enjoyable academic experiences I have ever had. I
don't think I could have prepared as well as I did with your program, and, considering the low price, I do not know why anyone would try anything else. As I already told you right after the
examination, I found it surprising easy, while other students who I knew had not taken the PatBar course thought it was extremely hard. I could only attribute this to the efficiency of the your
program. Once again, thank you, and you may reproduce my message in your promotional literature.
Sincerely,
Arman *****
Subject: Passed October exam
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 14:46:42 -0500
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
Dave,
I passed the October patent bar thanks to help from the review course. Now, to get out the of the patent office.
Thanks,
Brian *****
Subject: Re: test results
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 11:38:46 -0500
From: "Mike *****"
To: David Meeks <director@patbar.com>
Thanks again,
just another FYI for you: I graded my score based on the USPTO published answers, and I scored a 91. Therefore, I think I was very well prepared, and I really think I got my moneys worth from
your course, which is about 1/4 of what some others charge. I gave patbar.com a good recommondation on the yahoo patent discussion group.
-mike
Subject: Obtaining TX CLE credit.
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 09:20:19 -0600
From: "Craig *****"
To: <director@patbar.com>
Dear David:
It took a second time, but I passed the Oct. 2002 test. I was slammed at work and couldn't really study the two week prior to the first test, so it wasn't the courses fault.
Now I am hoping I can obtain CLE credit for my course work with your home study program, especially since I had to go through all the material 2 complete times. Would you please help me? My
aniversary for CLE credits is February 1, 2003.
Thank you,
Craig *****
Subject: Oct. 16, 2002 exam
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 00:05:17 EST
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
Hi:
This is to let you know that I passed the Oct. 2002 Patent Bar Exam.
Your audio tapes helped me a lot. With at least 1 hr. commute from my house to the office, I had at least 2 hours of review on the weekdays. Again thank you and more power to all of you.
Mario
PS. Is there a way to access or purchase any supplements you might produce in the future?
Subject: Patent Exam
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 17:49:21 -0800
From: *****
To: *****
Today I received the official results that I passed the United States Patent and Trademark Office examination. I've been working towards this day for 12 years. Now that it has happened...I
feel as if I have won the lottery. Thanks for all your support and encouragement, I couldn't have done it without your help.
Linda, Patent Attorney # P-*****
Subject: Thanks for the help. Can I get my results?
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 14:46:20 EST
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
David,
I passed!!!
I saw the unofficial results on 12/7, and I just received the official notice from the PTO today. I was hoping the official notice would also include my exam score, but it was not included.
How can I get a copy of my actual score from the exam? I'm curious about how many answers I got wrong, and which ones they were.
Thanks for all the help. Your program worked for me.
Bob *****
Subject: I passed Oct 2002 Patent Bar
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 14:12:40 EST
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
Hello Mr. Meeks:
I wanted to let you know that I passed Oct 2002 patent bar exam. Many thanks to you for offering an excellent home study kit for patent law specifically geared towards preparing for patent bar. I
used your kit for over 4 weeks and completed the study on an accelerated basis and I was ready!
I hope more students avail of this opportunity as your kit offers the best solution at a reasonable price.
Sincerely,
B***** K***** Ph.D.
Note: If you wish to use this note for testimonial purposes, please use only my initials. Thanks.
Subject: Thanks for your help!
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 12:59:26 -0600
From: "Andrew *****"
To: <director@patbar.com>
Dear David,
I just wanted to let you know that I passed the October 16th Patent Bar on my first attempt. Your course was an excellent study system and I would recommend it to anyone. I really appreciate you
services.
Sincerely,
Andrew *****
Subject: Receipt of Payment
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 11:16:56 -0600
From: "*****, Bryan"
To: "'director@patbar.com'"
Thanks to your program I was able to gain the edge necessary to pass the Patent Bar in October.
Could you please send me a copy (by e-mail preferably) of my receipt of payment ($595) for my records? Otherwise, please send by fax.
Thank you,
Bryan *****
Subject: test results
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 22:30:59 -0500
From: "Mike *****"
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc." <director@patbar.com>
Dear Mr. Patbar.com,
I want to let you know that I just received word today that I passed the Patent Bar!!!!
I really appreciate your help. Your course was way cheaper than many others, and I believe it to be just as good, as I passed it on the first try. I had no legal background, and I still was able
to pass the test.
Thanks again
-mike.
Subject: October 2002 Patent Examination
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 11:10:38 -0600
From: "Sharon *****"
To: "David Meeks" <director@patbar.com>
Hi David:
I just wanted to let you know that according to the unofficial posting from the USPTO on 12/6/02, I have passed the patent bar on the first try! Thanks for your patience with my many questions. I
did listen to all your tapes and go through many of the old exams. Consequently, there were no surprises on the exam. Thanks for all your help.
Now that the USPTO thinks I am capable of writing patents, I would actually like to start. Can you give me some ideas about who to contact or how to get started? I would like to go into business
for myself; however, I feel like I need some practical experience first.
Here is some information on my background. I have a PhD in molecular biology and have worked as a bench scientist for many years. For the last 8 1/2 years I have been writing a variety of medical
reports for pharmaceutical companies that are usually sent to the FDA or other regulatory bodies. I thought that writing patents would be a logical next step for me to take.
Any advice you could provide would be very helpful.
Regards,
Sharon *****
Subject: US Patent Bar
Date: Sat, 07 Dec 2002 18:25:14 +0200
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
David:
Once again, thanks for the help. According to the USPTO website, I passed the October Bar.
I reccomended your study program to other people who are preparing for the patent bar.
Sincerely,
Abraham *****
Subject: Thanks
Date: Sat, 07 Dec 2002 01:06:15 -0600
From: "Craig *****"
To: director@patbar.com
David,
Thanks for all your help. I passed.
It looks like this was one of the easiest exams ever with a 72% pass rate.
Craig *****
Subject: thanks!
Date: Fri, 06 Dec 2002 19:20:38 -0800
From: "Dr. *****"
To: director@patbar.com
back in mid-july, i decided to give the patent bar exam a shot and being a poorly paid postdoc (i have a ph.d in microbiol/mol genetics) funds are an issue. like many of us, im thinking of
stepping away from the bench and having never taken a law class i opted for the patentbar.com course. basically it taught me the legal vocab i needed to know to pass the oct/02 exam on my first
try! now thats funny! what do i do now? :D
thanks alot! and best regards!
-jc.
Subject: THANKS!!
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 2002 15:52:20 -0800 (PST)
From: *****
Reply-To: *****
To: director@patbar.com
Hello David.
Just got word of the patent results and I passed!! I really want to thank you for answering all my relentless questions and for putting together study materials that are accomodating to the
student budget. I must say that the key to taking an exam like this was doing the practice exams.
Doris *****
Subject: I passed.
Date: Fri, 06 Dec 2002 15:25:06 -0700
From: "PAUL *****"
To: director@patbar.com
David, your materials did the job. Thanks for promptly answering all my questions by email. I only took the big book and the code and rules book, along with my own notes to the exam. I
noticed a lot of people had 4 or more volumes of materials. I appreciated your redacted MPEP. I only missed 6 questions! I did put in at least 200 hours of study as you suggested.
Sincerely,
Paul *****
Subject:
Re:Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 00:28:54 -0800 (PST)
From: ***** engineering
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc."
David, just a check in to let you know I was successful on the last patent bar. Thanks for your help on the prep process. Evan
Subject: Exam Results
Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 07:45:27 -0700
From: "Jim *****"
Organization: *****
To: director@patbar.com
David,
Just a quick note to let you know that I passed the Patent Bar Exam on the first try. Your modular program is ideal for working individuals as it is presented such that a few hours per day of
concerted learning effort allows one to march through the otherwise daunting task of digesting the MPEP contents. I shall strongly recommend your program to others and provide the added advice to
diligently follow your instructions. See you in patent prosecution.
Jim *****
Subject: Good News
Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2001 12:38:27 -0500
From: "John *****"
To: director@patbar.com
Dear David,
I am pleased to inform you that I passed the October 17th exam. This was my first attempt at the exam.
I decided to take the Registration Exam as the first step toward a transition from a pharmaceutical R & D chemist to patent law practitioner. Your course was my first ever exposure to the
laws and rules of patent practice.
I would like to commend you for taking what initially appeared to be an unmanageable amount of material and presenting it in 60 very manageable parts. I began my studying in May and after working
through the first several modules it was easy to set up and stick with a study schedule which would allow me to finish by October 1 (which I did). I think that your emphasis on problem solving is
extremely important-there is no better way to learn or better measure of comprehension than by doing all of the study questions. Your response time for the email support system was excellent and
the responses very thorough.
Since I seem to learn best by writing things down, I found it helpful to make outlines of each of the modules with cross references to the location of the points in Manual 1. In the end these
outlines served as a valuable information retrieval system which I used frequently on the exam.
I know that most of the people sitting around me paid 5x the amount that I did for their review course and I felt equally or much better prepared than those individuals. Your course not only
allows you to prepare for the exam but actually learn and retain the principles of patent practice. I think your course is the only way to go to prepare for this very challenging exam and I
recommend it very, very highly.
Thank you for everything.
John
Subject: Hi
Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2001 11:24:30 -0500
From: "Ida *****"
To: director@patbar.com
Dear Mr. Meeks,
Thank you for all your help in answering my questions. I just wanted to let you know that I passed the Patent Bar.
Take care,
Ida=)
Subject: My exam results, and a question...
Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 12:14:33 -0600
From: Albert *****
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc."
References: 1
Mr. David Meeks,
Earlier this week I received my exam results. I passed! Although the material was interesting, I am thankful that I will not have to devote time to studying for the exam again. Now I can focus
100% on law school.
I do have a question that you can hopefully answer for me. I recently mailed my oath, data sheet, and registration fee as a preliminary step towards registration as an agent. However, it just
occurred to me that I had sent the registration fee in the form of a personal check. The information that I received explained that the registration fee was required by 37 CFR 1.21(a)(2). I was
having difficulty finding this section in my study materials. However, it is likely that payment by personal check is not allowed. Do you know if payment by personal check is appropriate? If not,
is there a way that I can correct this mistake? I have already mailed my data sheet and notarized oath. If I send another payment, how do I connect it to my oath and data sheet? Perhaps by
placing my provisional registration number on it? It was a careless error, but I will plead as an excuse that I am in the middle of finals in my semester at law school.
Thank you for your time.
Albert *****
Subject:
Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 10:53:57 -0600
From: j*****
To: director@patbar.com
Mr. Meeks,
My name is Jay *****, I have not previously written to you, but I just wanted to take a second to let you know that I have passed the Patent Bar on my first try. I could not have done it without
the help of your program. I did not realize how much of a time commitment it would be, but am I glad that I did it. At least I don't have to go through it again.
Now that I have passed, I have just a few questions that I don't know where else to turn to for answers.
Is the Patent Office going to let me know what I scored? Are they going to send me a copy of the Exam so that I can see what I missed? Is there a web site to visit that shows the percentage of
people who passed, or maybe even a breakdown of the exam showing which questions were most frequently missed? (being an engineer I am always interested in the numbers)
Anyway, if it is not too much trouble, and you know of any answers to my seemingly unimportant questions, I would appreciate if you could get back to me. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Jay *****
Subject: Re:Pass
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 15:09:46 -0500
From: robert.*****
To: director@patbar.com
David,
I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know I passed the Oct. 17. exam. I got the good news at the end of last week. Your materials were instrumental in my preparations and your on-line
assistance was most helpful in clarifying difficult questions. I have recommended your program to a couple of other students at the school where I am taking law courses part-time.
Thanks for all the help!!!
Bob *****
Subject: October 2001 exam
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 11:53:46 -0600
From: "Ed *****"
To: "Patbar.com" director@patbar.com
David,
I passed the October 2001 Exam! I just wanted to thank you for all the help and for the great review course. I didn't know ANYTHING about patents prior to starting your course, and being able to
pass the exam after a few months of studying is a testament to how great your study program is. Your prompt reply to my questions (no matter how stupid the question) bridged the gap on the
material I was having problems with. As several people have mentioned, taking the prior exams under test conditions is the key to passing the exam. Thanks again!
Ed *****
Subject: Patent bar
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 21:36:55 EST
From: *****
To: Director@patbar.com
David:
I passed the exam!. Thanks for your help.
Roh *****
Subject: I passed
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 14:01:55 -0500
From: joseph*****
To: director@patbar.com
Dear David,
I passed!!! Thanks for all your help. Your system works.
Best regards,
J. *****
Subject: Passed!
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 09:13:09 -0800
From: "Jennifer *****"
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc." <DIRECTOR@PATBAR.COM>
Just wanted to send a quick note to let you all know that I passed the Patent Bar. Thanks for providing excellent study materials at a reasonable cost. I know plenty of people who paid much
more and didn't pass!
Jennifer *****
Subject: I PASSED
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 02:07:23 +0000 (GMT)
From: David *****
To: director patent bar course director@patbar.com
David
Got the "skinny" letter Saturday. I passed the exam.
I was pretty up tight fretting about it. Would not care to do it again. So I am glad I passed.
Thanks for the help.
The guy on the computer next to me will take it in April and is also using your course. I loaned him the index I made. You never did say whether you would be interest in it.
I put it together using page numbers. Wish I had used paragraph numbers instead. That way it would go more easily from one manual to the next.
Of course it would not be difficult to change, but very time intensive.
Thanks again, I already have clients calling me.
Dave *****
Subject: October 17, 2001 Exam
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 17:25:07 -0500
From: "Ted *****"
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc." director@patbar.com
Mr. Meeks,
I passed the October 17, 2001 exam. Your course and you assistance were the only resources required. I will certainly recommend the PATBAR.COM program to anyone taking the PTO exam.
Thank you,
Ted *****
Subject: Materials
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 12:04:42 -0600
From: "ira *****"
To: director@patbar.com
Dear Sir:
I have recently taken the Patent Bar using only your course materials with which to study. I am delighted to inform you that I have passed. I feel that your course was the most effecient use of
time and material presentation. I am also pleased with the affordablility of your course and would/will recommend it to anyone I know that is looking to take the Patent Bar in the future.
Thank You-
Ira *****
Subject: 17 Oct 01 Test Results
Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2001 19:15:29 EST
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
David,
I wanted to let you know I passed the 17 Oct 01 Patent Bar! Thanks for all your help. I used your review course and found it very helpful. The most valuable part of the course was the MPEP
compilation and index. I used that extensively, much more than the audio tapes (although I did listen to them).
Also, your email support was outstanding. Whenever I had a question you quickly responded with a detailed explanation. This support was the next most valuable component of the program.
I will definitely recommend your program to other test takers. For me personally, it provided a way to eat this elephant one bite at a time.
Sincerely, Steve *****
Subject: Oct 2001 exam
Date: Sun, 09 Dec 2001 15:07:30 -0600
From: Nancy *****
To: director@patbar.com
Mr. Meeks,
I want to drop you a quick note that I passed the Oct 2001 patent bar exam. This is my first try and I didn't really start studying until about 4 weeks before the exam. I did finish the reading
materials, but not all the tapes. The material seemed quite hard to me at the beginning as I haven't taken any intellectual property classes yet. But as I moved along, things started to fall into
place and everything seemed to make sense. Of course your timely response in answering my questions through email helped a lot. The study material was very detailed and the index was easy to use.
I was surprised to see that there were so many questions in the exam that are verbatim from the study material. It sure made things easier for me. I want to give you my heartful thanks for
offering the material in a very reasonable price. I am a 2L and some of my classmates will be taking the exam soon. I certainly will recommend the study material to them.
Nancy
Subject: Passing the Bar
Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2001 07:17:02 -0800 (PST)
From: david *****
To: director@patbar.com
Dear Sirs,
I would like to thank you for your very useful program. I am a physicist with very little experience in patent prosecution. I purchased your program about six weeks prior to the bar and was able
to make mysely familiar with the key concepts in patent prosecution.
Based on my experience I would recommend your course to anyone and also include the advice that there is NO SUBSTITUTE for taking old exams under exam conditions.
Regards and Thank you,
David *****, provisionally registered patent agent
Subject: The little letter came today.
Date: Sat, 8 Dec 2001 17:03:15 -0700
From: "Thomas *****"
To: director@patbar.com
Dear Mr. Meeks:
I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am to you and your staff. Your course is worth every penny and then some.
Passing the exam on the first attempt has given me a true sense of accomplishment and boosted my self-confidence exponentially. I owe much of the credit to you and your well-organized, highly
effective, and reasonably priced course.
Thank you and God bless.
Sincerely,
Tom ***** Univ. of Arizona Law '03
Subject: Thank you!
Date: Sat, 08 Dec 2001 10:18:42 -0500
From: "Alex *****"
To: director@patbar.com
I found out today that I passed on my first try... with a score of 84! (I know my score, because I wrote down all my answers before finishing each section, as it let me compare answers with
others prior to the results being released. It's definitely cruel and unusual punishment when the PTO keeps one in suspense for so long!)
I would like to thank you for preparing such a high quality study program and continually offering supplements, which I added to my material up until the actual exam date.
I was apprehensive when I first heard that I could have a patent bar review program for $500, especially after seeing how the other companies were charging thousands more. After reading the
testimonials, I was assured that it's very likely one would pass, as long as one devotes the requisite intensive study-time required. Therefore, for the benefit of those who are in the same
position as I was a few months ago, I did the following:
I spent around 175 hours of concentrated studying, the studying encompassing:
3 months before the exam
- reading and highlighting EVERY single page in Manual 1 (the big binder)
- only doing the sample problems for the chapters which gave me difficulty
- not listening to any of the tapes (I'm a visual kind of person)
2-3 weeks before the exam
- working on the exams of years gone by, beginning to memorize (just by repeatedly going through the questions) some of the premises and the answers to those questions, because the exam is bound
to have such repeat questions (the infamous, ever-repeating rope and ethernet questions!), which are just gimme points that one can dispense of in under 10 seconds during the exam, as opposed to
wasting valuable time by reading the entire question
- making my own annotations and indexing pages in the already provided study guide index, the study guide index proving to be the most invaluable tool during the exam (I was able to find even the
most obscure answers very quickly and easily.)
1 week before the exam
- reading everything in Manual 4 (Patent Bar Core Curriculum) making sure I understood (as suggested by Patbar.com) everything in Manual 4 cold.
day before the exam
- re-reading all the old exams and correct answers only (read it like a book)
- attempting to get a good night's sleep (trust me, it's difficult)
exam date
- arrive early
- bring ear plugs because you never know how distracting the surrounding area could be
I'm glad to say (in a good way!) that I won't have to visit your web page ever again!
Thanks again for helping me pass!
Alex
Subject: passed, passed, passed
Date: Sat, 08 Dec 2001 16:07:44 +0300
From: "Debra *****"
Organization: *****
To: director@patbar.com
Hello David!
Just wanted to let you know that I passed the exam. It was a narrow pass, but it was a pass nonetheless!
Thanks for your help and for offering the home study course (which was my only option, since I live too far away for the other, very expensive, seminar type courses).
Thanks again!
Debra *****
Subject: Re: New York MCLE
Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 22:37:02 -0500
From: Sean *****
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc."
References: 1 , 2
David:
I am pleased to inform you that I received the small envelop for the PTO stating that I passed the October 17, 2001 exam. Thank you for providing an economical alternative to the $2,000 + review
courses. It does take determination and discipline. I am was pleased that everything I needed to learn was in your program.
I look forward to receiving the information about the amount of MCLE credits that New York recognizes for the PatBar course. I am also interested if they recognize any of the credits as "ethics"
specific. I am a member of the California Bar which recognizes New York MCLE credits for the purpose of satisfying the CA MCLE requirements. I do not presently need to submit anything, just keep
my documentation. Occasionally, they will spot audit members which will trigger a submittal of the documentation.
Thank you again,
Sean *****
Subject: I passed; THANKS!
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2001 19:58:15 -0500
From: John *****
To: director@patbar.com
David:
Please be introduced to the USPTO's newest Patent Agent, registration number P-**,***! All I need to do at this point is send a couple of forms and $100.
Your course worked very well for me. I passed the exam on the first try! There is a lot more in your course than just the minimum needed to pass the exam. I chose to put in a lot of time (300
hours or so) to make sure I understood all the material. The exam was easy. Without paying attention to the clock, I just started on question one and worked to the end. I was not "stumped" by any
question, although I did have to look up a lot of details. I finished both the morning and afternoon sections with 10-15 minutes to spare. In looking over my answers, I changed exactly one.
I have worked with patents for over 20 years as the person within my company who oversees patent matters. I am the main contact person with our patent attorneys. After finishing your course, I
find myself in the unusual position of knowing more about the newer aspects of US Patent practice than some of the attorneys I have worked with.
Please feel free to use this email or any part as a testimonial!
--John *****--
Subject: Passed on the first try!!!!
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2001 17:02:00 -0500
From: Tony *****
To: "'director@patbar.com'" director@patbar.com
David,
WOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Just got my letter today!!!! I passed the Oct 2001 exam on the first attempt!!! Your program is definitely worth the money.
Thanks,
Tony
Subject: I got a 90%
Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 15:31:01 -0500
From: *****
Organization: AFRL/SNAS
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, PatBar.com" director@patbar.com
I passed the exam on my first try, only 2 months after starting law school, with a 90%.
Your system made it easy for a non-lawyer to learn, and you were real help when I had questions.
Thank you so much!
--
Kelce *****, Major, USAF
AFRL/SNAS, Target Signatures
Subject: success
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 22:52:48 -0400
From: "Nathan *****"
Organization: *****
To: director@patbar.com
I forgot to email you guys --but I passed the April Exam.
Thanks for your material. It was well done and the price is great for those of us on a budget.
-nathan *****
Subject: Passed the April Exam
Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 09:54:57 -0400
From: "James *****"
To: "'director@patbar.com'"
Dear Mr. Meeks;
I want to take a minute to let you know that I passed the April, 2001 examination for registration to practice before the USPTO, which was my first attempt! The course material and Q/A dialogue
via e-mail that you provided were invaluable contributions to my success. I'm convinced that your self-paced approach was much more effective for me than the "crash courses" offered by other
services. Also, you pricing was very attractive for an individual whose efforts are not supported by a corporate bankroll. Thank you so much for helping me achieve this success.
Jim *****
P.S. I undertook this endeavor on my own time at home (communicating with you as "*****"). However now that I have passed the exam my employer has authorized me to file and prosecute patent cases
on its behalf.
Subject: I passed. Thanks!!
Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2001 17:54:02 -0400
From: Alan *****
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc."
References: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5
David:
I passed the April 18th exam (my first attempt). Thanks for your ALWAYS PATIENT answering of my NUMEROUS questions. The course was excellent. By the way, I did a lot of practice exams, and did
the tapes and "core curriculum" a few times completely through, but never did the "big" book.
Alan *****
Subject: Re: April 01 Exam
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 18:16:29 -0400
From: "Karen *****"
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc."
References: 1 , 2
David,
Choosing your program was the best move I have made at the start of my career. I found the modules to be a terrific method of study that not only kept me on a consistent path but also allowed me
to track my progress. I passed the exam and even felt comfortable while taking it (if you can believe it.)
Thank you so much,
Karen
Subject: Patent Exam
Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2001 23:09:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: Anastasia *****
To: director@patbar.com
Dear Mr. Meeks,
I received my results for the patent test last Friday and it was the small envelope. I passed on the first try!
I wanted to thank you for a great review course. I followed your instruction on how to use the course, but I didn't have time for the practice exams. I thought that the tapes really helped me
remeber a lot of concepts.
I took the manual and the index to the exam. I noticed that many people who took other courses had two or more large books with them which, I guess, were a bit difficult to use in a cramped room.
I thought that the index to the manual was excellent. I did not use it prior to the exam, but I found it easy to use. I found a lot of answers straight (verbatim) from the manual and I finished
about 30 minutes early on each part. I am really glad that I didn't go for the more expensive courses, saving some money by not taking out loans to pay for the patent bar. I will definitely
recommend your course to others planning to take the exam.
Thank You,
Anastasia *****
Subject: Patent Bar Results
Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2001 14:12:58
From: "Betrice *****"
To: director@patbar.com
I wanted to let you know that I passed the April 2001 exam. Thank you for all of your help, especially the suppplements and answers to questions. Thank you for providing an affordable study
course.
The test concentrated heavily on Requests for Continued Examinations, which was surprising. You actually needed the Federal Register that outlined RCE's to do well.
Thanks again and Take Care.
B.*****
[Program Directors Note-We beleive we included all of the information contained in the Federal Register in our course.]
Subject: Feedback
Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2001 12:22:04 -0500
From: "William *****"
To: director@patbar.com
Dear Sir/Madam,
I just wanted to send you a little positive feedback. As I am sure you know, the results of the April 2001 Patent Bar exam were recently mailed. I am thrilled to report that I received a passing
score on the exam using your materials. Without a doubt, your manual and supplements made all the difference. I was able to quickly and efficiently look up the answers to the questions and take
advantage of the test's open book nature.
Again, I wanted to sincerely thank you for your help. I am recommending your program to everyone I know who will sit for the exam in the near future. I wish your program continued success.
Thank you,
William *****
Subject: Test Results
Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2001 18:54:05 -0400
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
An update from one of your students:
I passed the April exam. I wasn't expecting so many questions on RCE and wasn't really prepared for them, but had enough of a cushion in the other areas to compensate. Good job on your course
materials. I spent just over 200 hours studying and listened to the tapes on my work commute.
Thanks for the help.
Subject: I Passed! - April 2001 Exam
Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2001 17:40:57 -0500
From: "Tom *****"
To: director@patbar.com
Dear David,
Just a note to let you know that I received the "small" envelope from the OED. I Passed! The course was a great help to me. Everything was so well organized and the "three layer" teaching method
worked great for me. Because of time constraints (I received the course the last week of February and took a 9 day vacation (no studying) in early March), I didn't have time to do the final read
through of the core curriculum. However, I did do all of the modules, all of the test questions, and listened to all of the tapes (usually on my commute). It was a very full six weeks! I spent
Easter weekend doing old exams under test conditions (Except Sunday, of course). I felt well prepared and confident by the time I got to the exam. I only referrred to the MPEP one time and I know
I missed that one because I found out later the statute had changed and the MPEP had not yet been updated. I also wan tto thank you for promptly answering my e-mail questions and speaking with me
on the phone several times.
Regards,
Tom *****
Subject: April 18, 2001 Exam Prep
Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2001 10:38:05 -0400
From: "Rich *****"
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc." director@patbar.com
David,
I wanted to let you know that I relied exclusively on your course, and I passed the April 18, 2001 exam. Thankfully, it was the first and only patent exam I took. I found that your course more
than adequately prepared me for the exam. In fact, in taking prior exams under test conditions, I passed all 4 (1999 & 2000).
I knew nothing about patent law and regulations prior to taking your course, so I give you alot of credit. You broke it down into logical parts and made an overwhelming task much easier. Further,
your availability to answer questions via email was very helpful to me. I sent you several questions, and I appreciated your quick, thorough responses.
I must admit, I was hesitant to take your course at first because it was relatively inexpensive. But I am so glad that I did. As I said, it certainly prepared me to take and pass the exam, and it
cost me a fraction of what others are charging.
Thank you very much for offering a quality product at a great price.
Rich
Subject: I passed
Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2001 22:37:37 EDT
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
I received your materials 30 days before the 10/18/2000 exam, got through the first 600 pages and received a score of 63. Although I had the option of switching review courses, I choose to
stay with yours for the April 18 exam. This time I got through all tapes, the course modules, the supplements and about 4 prior exams - and I passed! Thanks so very much, I really appreciated
your continued support through the internet postings this time around. Roberta *****.
Subject: I passed!
Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2001 19:01:13 -0400
From: "Chris *****"
To: director@patbar.com
Mr. Meeks,
I passed the April 18th 2001 registration exam! I was a first time taker too and I began preparing three and half weeks before the exam. Nothing more needs be said. Your tapes were outstanding. I
listened to them two times. Then I checked out the supplements on your Website. Thank God I did. I tabbed Manual 1 very extensively. Then I made sure that I was familiar with every past exam
question. That was important too. Thank you Dave. Here is some e-beer if you can drink it.
Chris *****
Subject: results
Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2001 13:38:20 EDT
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
David -
I got the thin letter in the mail today from the OED -- I passed.
Your course prepared me well for the exam. The chapter-by-chapter drills of old exam questions were the key ingredient for me. I also would not have passed without taking four practice exams
(many recycled questions were on the April '01 exam). One area where the modules could be improved is the layout/formatting of the text: line spacing, indentations, and subheads are inconsistent,
which can be distracting at the least and confusing at the worst.
For reference, it was my first shot at the exam, and I studied about 175 hours. I did not use the audio tapes, as I absorb much more from reading than listening. Many thanks for your help.
Alan *****
[Program Directors Note-We have been making improvements in this area (formatting), and expect all materials to be consistent throughout.]
Subject: Result Notification
Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2001 11:46:42 -0400
From: "Gregory *****"
To: director@patbar.com
Dear Mr. Meeks and Associates,
Incredible news. I PASSED the April 2001 Patent Exam!!! I just received the results last night and I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate the quality of your study materials and the
great support I received.
Even when my materials were stolen out of my car just weeks before the exam, I was able to get another set the next day. Your staff's timely response allowed me to continue my studies with
minimal interruption. The tapes allowed me to continuously review materials whenever I was on the road, and the outline was perfectly organized in a way that made the voluminous material
digestible even while I was finishing my last semester in law school.
You can be assured that your materials will be recommended to everyone who is interested in taking the patent bar. Thank you again.
Greg
University of Maryland, '01
Subject: Patent Bar Exam
Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2001 10:55:30 EDT
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
Hi Dave,
I just wanted you to know that I received a letter yesterday from OED informing that I passed the patent bar exam. And it was majorly due to your great program. I studied hard and followed the
tapes closely. If you may recall, I got started a little late in my studies and had to double up on the lectures. At any rate, thank you again for your help and for answering all of my email
questions in a timely manner. I feel confident in the knowledge I have learned.
Bryant
Subject: October Exam
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 16:22:09 -0800
From: Kevin *****
To: director@patbar.com
Mr. Meeks,
I wanted to send you a quick note to let you know that I passed the October PTO exam. I thank you for excellent course materials, they were immensely helpful to me in preparing for the exam. I
will send a separate "testimonial" type message sometime in the next few days directed at prospective customers. I will describe my study methods and provide advice to future test takers.
Sincerely,
Kevin *****
Subject: exam
Date: Sat, 9 Dec 2000 21:25:23 -0600
From: Gary *****
To: director@patbar.com
Dear Mr. Meeks,
I wanted to let you know that I passed the October 2000 sitting of the patent office bar exam. Your materials were very useful during the exam and I was able to find more than a few answers right
out of the materials. I doubt the people who lugged in he 10 volume set of notes could say the same. I have a Ph.D. with no legal training and was very worried about being able to pass the exam.
I believe anyone who can put in the time to carefully go over your modules and take a few practice exams can pass. Your guides were worth the money (especially compared to other courses!) and I
highly recommend them to anyone trying to pass the PTO exam.
Thanks again.
Subject: Thank You
Date: Sat, 9 Dec 2000 13:27:21 -0600
From: Kurt *****
To: director@patbar.com
Mr. Meeks,
I found out last week that I passed the patent bar adminstered last October. I wanted to thank you for your materials. I really had to rely on them as I did not have any prior patent experience.
I have recommended your program to others and have told them that they can pass the exam the first time as well if they put in the time. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Kurt *****
Subject: Thanks
Date: Wed, 06 Dec 2000 18:05:36 -0700
From: Melissa *****
To: director@patbar.com
I just received a letter stating I passed the exam. I had absolutely no exposure to patent law or procedures before I took your course. Thanks to your course, I was able to pass the exam on
my first try.
Overall, I thought the course was worth at least three times what I paid for it! The index was extremely helpful on exam day. However, I would like to make one suggestion. If possible, I think it
would be helpful to provide an initial module that gave a simplified overview of the patent prosecution process for those students like myself who have had no exposure to the material.
Thanks again,
Melissa *****
[Editor's Note: Based on this e-mail and other similar comments, we have added a VCR tape that reviews some basics helpful to those without a background in patent practice.]
Subject: Test Results
Date: Mon, 04 Dec 2000 07:27:15 -0500
From: Benjamin *****
To: director@patbar.com
David,
I got my notification from OED on Friday that I passed the October exam. Thanks for all of your help. I will certainly recommend your course to other students at the law school.
Benjamin *****
Subject: Thanks- you helped me pass the October 2000 test
Date: Sat, 02 Dec 2000 14:01:29 -0500
From: defaultuser *****
To: director@patbar.com
I just got a letter from the PTO saying I passed the October 2000 examination. Using your materials and taking practice exams is more than sufficient to pass the exam. I am glad that I chose
your program instead of the more expensive other courses. I really enjoyed the home-study program which allowed me to go at my pace and set my own study schedule.
Thanks again for helping me pass.
KYLE *****
Duke Law School
Subject: Exam
Date: Sat, 2 Dec 2000 11:05:17 -0500
From: Michael *****
To: "'director@patbar.com'"
Hi David,
Just wanted to let you know that I received my results from the PTO yesterday and I passed. It was a lot of work, but your materials were very helpful for preparing and while taking the exam.
Thanks! Michael *****, Ph.D.
----------------------
Subject: RE: Exam
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 09:11:20 -0500
From: Michael *****
To: "'Institute for Patent Studies, Inc.'"
Thanks David. No need for a long email, but I also wanted to let you know that passing the patent bar just helped me get an offer from Pennie and Edmonds in New York to work as a patent
agent trainee while attending Fordham at night. I'll be keeping my modules handy for quick reference when I need it. Thanks again for your service and good luck in the coming year.
Mike.
Subject: patent bar
Date: Sat, 2 Dec 2000 01:48:01 EST
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
Dear Mr. Meeks,
I just received my letter today indicating that I had passed the exam. Your materials are far and away the best out there. When I was first deciding on what review course I should use, I honestly
thought that since your course was so cheap (in comparison to other courses), it couldn't have been as good. But I decided to try your course (because it was so cheap in comparison) and thought
that if I didn't pass the exam, then I would enroll in one of those more expensive courses. During my studies, I had the opportunity to look over the material that is supplied by one of those
other, more expensive patent review courses and I was disappointed as to the general treatment those courses took concerning important area of the exam. It was only your course book that had all
the extensive details that eventually showed up on exam day and helped me pass. It turns out I made the right decision. I ju! st wanted to say thank you and let you know that I will definitely
recommend your course to anyone I know that may be interested in taking the patent bar exam. Thanks again.
Matthew
Subject: I passed!!!
Date: Fri, 1 Dec 2000 14:40:56 EST
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
Ya-hoo!! Just got my pass notice in today's mail - what a thrill. Thanks so much for your help. I wrote you earlier, right after the exam, saying I couldn't be absolutely sure I had passed -
but that I felt better than many of the others, most of whom were using other prep program material. NOW I'm absolutely sure!! Thanks again. Your materials were great. By the way, do you know the
pass rate?
Denise *****
Subject: Patent Bar Preparation Materials
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2000 01:15:26 -0500
From: *****
To: "David Meeks" director@patbar.com
Dear Mr. Meeks:
I have just taken the October 2000 exam and although I am uncertain as to my status I am most comfortable in saying that your materials are arguably the best suited for the examination. I found
many participants that had elected more expensive courses bogged down by unnecessary texts and voluminous notes and strategies, whereas I found that although I may not have ever saw a similar
question I well understood the philosophy of the prosecution process and was able to draw reasonable conclusions based on the facts.
Should it be necessary to retake the exam I will again employ your services. The fact that the materials clearly elucidated the subject matter and that you made yourself personally available was
truly outstanding. Despite the fact I would have liked to see an expanded index for the study guide, I most highly recommend your course. I would be most interested if you made a lecture series
available to your clients that had completed the 60 modules as a prerequisite for attendance in such a program.
I shall make you aware of my status subsequent to the test. Please feel welcome to share my sentiments in your promotions.
Sincerely,
Raymond *****
Subject: Exam
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 10:35:33 -0400
From: *****
To: "'director@patbar.com'" director@patbar.com
Hi David,
Just wanted to let you know that your Patent Bar Exam materials were not only great for preparing for the exam, but were a huge help yesterday during the exam. I finished each section with about
45 minutes remaining (while looking up a few questions on the way) and then spent the remaining time looking up questions that I wasn't sure about. I ended up finding 3 or 4 on each section right
in the index and right in your materials (one of the good ones was under "disclaimer" where they asked if an applicant disclaimed material if they didn't follow an examiner's suggestion to
incorporate it into a claim). Some people brought in boxes of materials, and there is no way they could have used them all. Anyway, thanks for providing a low cost and effective way to study for
the exam and I'll let you know if I passed in a month or so (pretty sure I did). Michael *****, Ph.D.
Subject: The exam is OVER!!!!
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 08:53:15 -0400
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
Dear Mr. Meeks,
Just finished the exam yesterday - have you had any other feedback? My take was that it was more difficult than the last few, but not TOO bad. I took the test in Indianapolis - it seemed like
most of the test-takers used a different prep program. I have never experienced a test situation quite like it - there were actually people in tears outside the testing room at the end - and
frustration being expressed by many. I didn't feel that negatively. There were some areas tested - particularly correspondence address rules - which weren't covered much on earlier exams. Also -
nearly every question included an answer choice of "none of the above" - which, of course, requires that one make an in-depth analysis of every choice and prevents confidently settling on an
answer because it is the "best" - requiring, instead, having to be absolutely sure. Time constraint was a commonly voiced frustration. I'm not 100% positive I passed - but I'd bet on it. I can't
imagine there were 30 questions I missed. Your materials were great. The ONLY thing I couldn't find quickly when needed was any detailed reference to the use of abbreviatures, defensive
publications and abstracts as prior art. There was a question pertaining to this that required more than cursory knowledge. You needed to know whether they could be used, and if so, could they be
used in combination or alone - and what kind of prior art rejections could be made on their basis. Oh well. It seemed like there were an awful lot of "tricks" imbedded in the answers. One had to
read extrememly carefully. Also - I think the PTO is continuing in its overall shift toward a different emphasis on these tests.
Do you know when answers will be published? Or when we can expect scores? Is there a chat-room that know of pertaining to the examinations? Thanks for your help in preparing for the exam - THANK
GOD it's OVER. Denise *****
Subject: 18 Oct 2000 Patent Bar Exam
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2000 21:42:18 EDT
From: *****
To: director@patbar.com
CC: *****
Director:
Just finished the Oct 2000 PATBAR exam. It was very different in that about 10 questions covered "Reissue" applications... I am glad I had taken your course and studied hard. The pattern of your
study questions and advice to take/take/take past exams in Exam-like settings really helped!
I found myself able to answer about 25% of the questions w/o look ups, had time to look up most of the other questions...feel like I got about 35 right for sure each session. Glad I did not think
I could "Ace" it... it would have been really frustrating then.
Exam room was mostly in shock after the Morning session due to the number of Reissue questions. Old favorites like timing of mailings, fees, appeals; proper wording of claims; how to overcome xxx
rejections, and other usual suspects were there. Plus there were several "triple negative" situations ..."which of the following are not reasons for improper rejection by examiner"... and all
examples actually were proper!!
Thanks for the help and advice.
David *****, Captain US Navy
Subject: exam
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2000 17:29:44 -0500
From: "Chris *****" *****
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc." director@patbar.com
References: 1 , 2
David,
Thank you for your help getting ready for today's exam. While I am unsure concerning my status, I will wait until December, hoping for the "thinvelope". Between now and then I have plenty of
Contracts, Property and Torts to study.
The test was written to cover law only until 28 Nov 1999. The inventors' act may be on the next exam.
The information in the supplements was needed; questions on hyperlinks, prior art on the internet and recapture showed up. I would say between 8-12 questions from the exams in 1999 and 2000 were
there as well, distributed between the two sessions.
Your book helped me get the most out of each 3-hour session, by using a simple organization and a reasonably sized font. I hope your update follows the same pattern. And keep emphasizing practice
tests and questions: I found that my best preparation was taking questions and searching through the manual on my own. No matter what question that was thrown at me today, I knew whether it was
in the manual and if it was applicable. A number of answer choices read verbatim from your notes.
Hopefully, the next time I write I am letting you know about a pass - however, if I don't, it will be to order an updated system.
Sincerely,
Chris
Subject: Patent Bar Success and Suggestions
Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 00:15:48 EDT
From: *****
To: ips@warwick.net
Dear Mr. Meek:
I just received my letter notifying me that I passed the April 2000 patent bar examination. I utilized your bar review as my primary study tool. Through use of your materials, I was able to
achieve passage at a cost which was a fraction of the cost of the other review courses.
I felt that your distillation of the MPEP allowed one familiar with the location of the materials to often find the exact answer from the materials. This was quite useful. I wrote you just before
the patent exam, though, to express my dismay with the index. I found myself creating a new index of the study guide, with several terms which were not covered in the existing index. Because I
like to suggest solutions rather than merely complain, I thought I would share some index items for potential addition.
List of suggested index items:
37 CFR 1.131, proper use of affidavit, page 539
37 CFR 1.131, improper use of affidavit, page 539-540.
"About" in claims drafting, page 847
To "amendments" I would add the subcategory:
"specifications", pages 534-537, 805-806.
I would also add "impermissible" under amendments, citing to page 531 and 532.
Appeal brief, page 939-941.
"Comprising", page 692
"Consisting of", page 629
"Effective amount", page 853-854
The "express mail" item needs to refer to "proper format", and cite to 157-158.
"for example" in a claim, indefinite, page 854
"like material", in a claim, indefinite, page 849
A major change I suggest is the thorough expansion of your "overcoming rejection" index items. Each ground of 102 and each ground of 103, as well as non-statutory double patenting, deserves an
index citation, e.g., overcoming rejection under section 102(a), etc. You have some of this, but a complete detail on this would not be hard to do nor occupy much of your index to the outline,
and yet can help expedite the answer to a material portion of the examination. I like what you've done in the ones you do--you just need to do it more <G>, for each subpart of each prima
facie rejection ground.
You also might expand the prima facie obviousness entries to include: "elements", and a separate subheading for each element. You should cross-reference to the "overcoming" section with a "see"
reference where appropriate.
"said" reference in claim drafting, page 854, 855.
"similar" in claim drafting, page 848.
petition to make special, page 432-440
with a separate entry for "special", i.e., See Petition to make special.
"substantially" in claim drafting, page 848
"substantially as show and described" in claim drafting, page 848
"such as" in claim drafting, page 854
"superior to comparable materials", page 849
"type" in claim drafting, page 848
"utilizing" in claim drafting, page 866
I have kept this list as short as possible, as I recognize that the index should not become an MPEP in itself. I am sure in my celebratory haste to assemble it, I have overlooked a place or two
you may have already adequately covered. Still, I found the existing index of the least use in two areas--overcoming rejection and in claims drafting. As these two areas have traditionally
featured lots of rather term-dependent questions well covered by the MPEP and your review, I feel that an improved index would enable folks to rapidly find the materials in the review. I know you
guys have the years of experience with your review, but I do suggest some mild index revisions.
I found, by the way, your ethics materials adequate because of my general feel for the attorney CPR ethics rules. I suspect a more recent graduate might need a bit more help with it.
Still, I don't want to sound like the mouse who escaped the trap,and then lamented the lost cheese.....I consider that your review was an effective way to prepare for the patent bar, particularly
the book (I personally did not make much use of the tapes).
I volunteer my time at www.allexperts.com as a "free" advice giver on law careers. The next time someone asks about patent bar reviews, I will prominently mention you guys.....
Thanks....Robert
Subject: April 2000 Exam
Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 11:02:46 -0700
From: "Matt *****"
To:
I just wanted to let you know that after taking your review course I passed the patent bar on the first try, as did my friend *****. Thanks for your help and for providing a quality program
at a reasonable price.
Matt *****
Subject: great news!
Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 17:27:13 -0500
From: "Charles *****"
To:
Hello everyone,
The mail brought a thin letter from the US Patent & Trademark Office today. After overcoming a little anxiety, I opened it. The letter mentioned that I had PASSED the 4/12/00 patent bar
examination. I now hold a provisional patent agent number. The hard work studying this spring paid off. Have a good weekend!
Sincerely,
Charles *****
Subject: Patent Bar
Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 18:13:01 -0500
From: Lekha *****
To: "'ips@warwick.net'"
Hi David:
I just wanted to let you know that I passed the Patent Bar. The preparation with the IPS tapes definitely paid off.
Lekha *****
Subject: Thanks
Date: Fri, 26 May 2000 07:49:11 -0600
From: "Michael *****" *****
To: "'Institute for Patent Studies, Inc.'" <IPS@WARWICK.NET>
David:
Received my pass notice yesterday - couldn't have done it without your material and your assistance. Thanks, M**.
Michael *****
Subject: Re: Results
Date: Fri, 26 May 2000 20:15:31 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Jason *****"
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc."
You are right! I received mine this afternoon. A pass. Thanks for your help!
Sincerely,
Jason *****
On Fri, 26 May 2000, Institute for Patent Studies, Inc. wrote:
> JASON:
>
> As far as I know, the results were mailed last Friday. Many have
> received theirs allready (all over the country). You should be
> receiving yours soon, too.
>
> Please let us know how things went.
>
> David
>
> Jason ***** wrote:
> >
> > Any idea when they will mail the results? It has already been longer than
> > the last two exams.
> >
> > Jason *****
>
Subject: in case you need it
Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 08:53:08 -0500
From: "Charles *****"
To: "Meeks, David"
Hello David,
I have filled out my data sheet to enter the register of Patent Agents. After law school, I'll upgrade to Patent Attorney in 2001. I credit your program with assisting me to pass the Patent Bar
on the first attempt. You have a satisfied customer here. If potential customers would like a reference on your program, they can call me at *****. If I hear of other potential customers, I will
send them your way. Have a pleasant day.
Charles
Subject: Thanks, I passed the bar.
Date: 30 May 00 10:44:03 EDT
From: james *****
To: ips@warwick.net
Hi David,
Just wanted thank you all and if you're keeping track I wanted to let you know that I passed the Patent Bar Exam.
To be honest, when I received the materials, I had some reservations about both the review course and the patent bar itself. In the end, I felt pretty confident taking the exam, and the bottom
line is that I passed.
I found the indexed MPEP extremely helpful, and found your e-mail responses to my questions both prompt and thorough. I think the practice questions materials could have used some explanations,
especially since they were the first questions you would see after reading each module. If you'd like any more comments on how I felt about the course, please feel free to e-mail me.
Thanks again.
JAMES
Subject: Thanks!
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2000 11:26:25 -0500 (CDT)
From: Amy *****
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc."
David,
As you already know...I PASSED! First, I want to thank you for the prompt responses to all of my many questions. The customer service that I received from you AFTER I purchased your course was
worth the $500 alone.
Second, I would like to share my experiences so that others may benefit. I have no legal background whatsoever and found the material a bit difficult to follow initially. A quick trip the the law
library at the university I attend helped immensly. There I found a copy of McCarthy's Desk Encyclopedia of Intellectual Property which proved absolutely invaluble. The Encyclopedia has many
terms specific to intellectual property law that one can't find in Black's Law Dictionary. In addition to a brief definition of the terms, there are examples of usage and pertinent case law which
serves to both solidify your understanding of the terms and makes the reading much more interesting. I can't recommmend this book enough to your students who lack a legal background and find that
they aren't grasping the MPEP material fully.
I started studying for the April 2000 bar exam in November 1999 and spent approximately 10-12 hours/week on the material. I worked steadily and consistently doing approximately 3 modules/week. I
used the IPS mini-review at the beginning of each module as a starting point for an outline of my own wherein I included additional specific details from the MPEP. The final length of the outline
was approximately 100 pages. The time spent on my own outline helped in remembering the material and the outline itself served as an initial quick-reference during the exam. I finished all 60
modules with about 1 month to spare. During that time, I went over and over old exam questions paying particular attention to why I answered incorrectly. During the last few weeks before the exam
I took both the April 1999 and November 1999 exams under "real test" conditions. I am certain that doing as many old exams as possible is the key to passing the exam.
Finally, I want to thank you again for creating a patent bar study course that is affordable. As a graduate student, there is no way that I could have afforded $2500 or more for the other review
courses and I doubt that they would have enhanced my chances of passing the exam.
Thanks again,
Amy *****
Subject: Patent Bar
Date: Mon, 05 Jun 2000 19:09:42 -0700
From: Jason *****
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc."
David,
I just found out that I passed the patent bar, and i wanted to thank you for all your help while I was studying. I don't think I could have done it without you!
Sincerely,
Jason *****
From: D'Arcy *****
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 18:58:18 -0600
To: director@patbar.com
Subject: Thanks
David-
Just returned from the PTO's web site where I learned the passing rate for the April 2000 exam was 52%. Frankly, I'm surprised it was this low as I found the exam to be something of a breeze. In
the afternoon session, I finished with 30 minutes to go.
When I started with your materials, I had virtually no background or experience in the field. I went through the 60 modules two times, with the first review being thorough and the second review
being swift (i.e., I didn't listen to the tapes twice). I did your module questions on the second review and the Apr. and Nov. 99 exams after finishing with your materials. This approach seemed
to make many of the module questions more meaningful, as I understood the context of the questions.
Your index was also quite useful on exam day. There were probably 5 to 8 questions where I used the index to find the answer popping right out at me in your materials. Hardly seems fair to the
rest . . . But this exam isn't about fairness - it's about passing.
Thanks-
D'Arcy
Subject: April patent exam
Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 14:19:28 -0500
From: Lica *****
To: ips@warwick.net
DAVID:
I have been meaning to drop you a line to thank you for your help during my patent bar preparation. I received notification that I passed the exam a couple of weeks ago.
I also wanted to tell you that your Manual 1 is great. There was more than one question on the exam where I was able to find the answer word for word in your manual. I did not take any patent
classes in law school and was able to pass the exam on the basis of the information in Manual 1 alone.
Thanks again.
Lica *****
Subject: Question from today's exam
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 17:00:40 -0400
From: "Tammy *****"
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc."
I took the exam today, and there was one question in particular that I felt compelled to write down and ask you about it.
Which of the following claims is in proper multiple dependant claim form? Each is in a separate application. (I didn't take this part down verbatim, but the answers are verbatim.)
A. Claim 8. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein
...
B. Claim 5. A device as in one of claims 1-4, wherein ...
C. Claim 10. A device as in any of claims 1-4 or 6-9, in which ...
D. Claim 4. A machine according to claim 3 or 4, also comprising ...
E. The claim form in (A), (B), (C) and (D) is acceptable.
I almost went straight for E, but then I noticed that the claim in D refers to itself. Do you think this was a typographical error? There were several other nonmaterial typos in the exam. If it's
not a typo, A, B and C are equally correct. It seems like multiple correct answers are usually not so obvious. I had to just guess at A. If I got it wrong and my grade is a 69, do think I can
make them change my grade?
Subject: Eeekk!!
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 16:48:45 -0500 (CDT)
From: Amy *****
To: Institute for Patent Studies
David,
I just finished the exam and must purge. I think that this could go either way for me. For the record, under "real" test conditions I scored a 90, and 92% of the April and November 99 tests,
respectively.
There were no fewer than 4 questions on professional responsibility (and poorly worded, I might add), several (can't recall how many) questions on interference and appeal practice (which hasn't
been that heavily tested in the pase as far as I can tell and I didn't really prepare for it), no PCT questions, not much on 102 and not as many claim questions as in '99 and none of the "fun"
questions that require discovery of any type. There were a few questions, that, despite the fact that you were looking at the exact section of the MPEP the answers were so crappy that you
couldn't tell which of two to pick. I will be extremely upset if some of them are not thrown out.
The length of the test was fine - each half was 27 pages/ea.
I guess that we should be expecting the results in 6 weeks, correct? Do they usually come in a big envelope or a little one?
Anyway, thanks for answering all of my questions over the last sereral months. Who knows, you might be answering them for the October exam as well.
Amy
Subject: post exam thoughts
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 18:28:21 -0500
From: "Charles *****"
To: "Meeks, David"
Hello David,
I survived the exam today. It was a long test but manageable. In both sessions, I had 5 minutes left to spare. St. Louis had 24 people take the exam today. I recognized only one other law student
from St. Louis U. A mere few people left the exam site early this afternoon. My thoughts on the exam follow.
1 This exam had more professional responsibility/PTO ethics questions than expected. One question involved using Treasury Bills which threw me for a loop. The question phrasing "what is not
prohibited" caused some trouble.
2 The morning session appeared tougher than the afternoon session. I did see 4 or 5 questions in each session as repeats from earlier exams.
3 I was able to answer all questions in the time allowed. Your sample exams helped hone my exam time management skills.
4 With PTO exams on the internet, I almost overlooked the Nov 1999 exam. I downloaded it yesterday. I recommend that Manual two remind people to download the last exam, probably at the point of
the two sample exams at module 40.
5 In the 4/99 sample exam, question 12 answer C addressed a part of the secrecy orders not in module 2, section 120.
Once I get the results, I'll let you know how I did. Have a pleasant day.
Charles
Subject: April exam
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 19:55:09 -0500 (CDT)
From: Jason *****
To: "Institute for Patent Studies, Inc."
Dear Mr. Meeks:
You have probably received lots of emails indicating that the exam was quite short again -- even shorter than the past two. I would like to think that it was quite reasonable. I felt like I was
able to give the correct answer with a high level of certainty to all but three questions.
That does not of course mean that I answered 70 correctly -- I'll have to wait for the results for that, but I felt adequately prepared.
Your materials, but perhaps more importantly your prompt, detailed and thoughtful answers to questions were what allowed me to become confidently prepared for the exam. Reviewing was long hard
work, and of course I hope I passed the test and do not have to take it again, but in any case it was an exciting and enjoyable experience.
Sincerely,
Jason
Subject: I got my results today!
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 21:17:24 -0500
From: *****
To: ips@warwick.net
Dear David:
I received a very slim letter from the PTO today, informing that I had passed the November 3, 1999 sitting of the Patent Bar Exam. Needless to say, I'm thrilled and relieved to put this very
difficult ordeal behind me.
I could not have passed the exam without the IPS review course. No doubt in my mind...
While the review manuals, taped lectures, and prior exam questions were excellent preparation for the exam, I was perhaps most impressed with the customer service I received after I had purchased
the course. When I first purchased the course, I was admittedly leery -- I was afraid that once I purchased the course and IPS "had my money," that I would be swept under the rug and forgotten.
My initial fears were TOTALLY unfounded...
The MPEP is a very difficult tome, and frequently requires a little guidance and clarification... I am so grateful that every time I called, I was courteously helped... every e-mail I sent was
promptly answered... I could not have passed without your help -- both via the course materials and via the phone calls and e-mails that pointed me in the right direction.
I would not hesitate to recommend your home study course to anyone!
Thanks again,
David
ps: since the last time we spoke, I accepted a job with the PTO as an examiner in AU 3619... Your course has been helpful not only in passing the exam, but every day on the job as well!!
Thanks again,
D
Subject: Exam Results
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 10:59:29 EST
From: *****
To: ips@warwick.net
Just got the results today - I passed the patent bar exam.
Thanks for all your help. Your study program obviously worked for me - since I had never looked at any patent law materials before picking up your materials in August.
If you are interested, I have some suggestions as to how to improve it.
Nancy
Subject: Passed the patent exam
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 15:22:57 EST
From: *****
To: ips@warwick.net
David,
I received my results today and I passed the November 3rd exam. Thanks for all of your help. This was the best $500.00 I have spent in recent memory. I feel like Christmas arrived early. There
are a few classmates that intend to take the patent exam. I advised them that your program is the only option as a study companion. You should be getting a few orders in the near future.
Again, thanks for providing me the best chance to pass the patent exam.
Also, thanks for the fair price (I have some Christmas gift money left).
Sincerely,
Patrick
Subject: Regarding the Nov. 3 Exam
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 17:40:27 -0500
From: *****
To: David Meeks (ips@warwick.net)
David,
I just wanted to let you know that I just received notice that I passed the November 3 exam, and this was on my first try. I want to thank you for all your help in answering my e-mail questions,
and in sending me your update of the previous exam questions. I found the pointers to the section in the manual where the answers could be found to be very helpful. I also particularly appreciate
the encouragement that you gave me when I was having some doubts about my readiness to take the exam.
I took all of the course materials to the exam, which I tabbed, and also had some of my own notes that I had made. It which might have been overkill, but it gave me piece of mind and I think
there was one question that came straight out of the statutes, so I was glad I had it with me.
I would recommend the course to others, particularly for those like myself who have difficult schedules. As a suggestion for improvement, I think more model answers to exam questions (like the
ones the Patent Office provides) would be helpful.
Thanks again, David.
Regards,
Todd
Subject: Passed the exam!
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 21:20:14 EST
From: *****
To: IPS@warwick.net
David,
Thanks for the message about receiving a little letter v receiving a big manilla envelope, because when I saw tha |
