The USPTO announced this week an expansion and extension of the Green Technology Pilot Program. View the announcement here.
In short, eligibility is expanded to include applications filed on or after December 8, 2009, and the duration of the Program is extended until December 31, 2011. The Program, however, will be capped at the first 3,000 grantable petitions. As of November 2, 2010, 790 petitions have been granted.
These changes will permit more applications to qualify for the Pilot Program, thereby allowing more inventions related to green technologies to be advanced out of turn for examination and reviewed earlier. Since implementation on December 8, 2009, 94 patents have issued under the Program.
More information is available here.
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