The process used by Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PTO) to review patent disputes has become an issue yet again, thanks to a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). According to the GAO report, 75% of respondents to a survey of PTAB judges said that oversight practiced at PTO affected their independence in adjudicating cases, but that view was not universally held by these judges, leaving stakeholders with a vague picture as to the nature of the processes handled by the PTAB.