Precedential and informative decisions

PTAB precedential and informative decisions are organized by subject matter in the accordion below. Recently designated decisions appear in the first panel. Archived decisions include those not pertinent to or less pertinent to current PTAB practice. 

See the bottom of the page for alphabetical lists of all precedential and informative decisions. PTAB retired the Excel workbooks containing all PTAB precedential and informative decisions.

A precedential decision establishes binding authority concerning major policy or procedural issues, or other issues of exceptional importance, including constitutional questions, important issues regarding statutes, rules, and regulations, important issues regarding case law, or issues of broad applicability to the Board (see Standard Operating Procedure 2).

An informative decision provides Board norms on recurring issues, guidance on issues of first impression to the Board, guidance on Board rules and practices, and guidance on issues that may develop through analysis of recurring issues in many cases (see Standard Operating Procedure 2).

If you are interested in anonymously nominating a routine decision of the Board for designation as precedential or informative, please complete the PTAB decision nomination form.

If you are interested in anonymously submitting comments regarding a PTAB precedential or informative decision, please complete the PTAB precedential and informative decisions public comment form.