The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) launched a new pilot program to reduce examination delays for certain patent applications starting October 27. For 12 months after publication in the Federal Register or until each Technology Center accepts at least 200 applications, applicants can pay a $150 fee ($60 for small entities) to have qualifying applications examined out of turn, potentially cutting the current 22-month wait for a first Office Action.
To qualify, applications must have a single independent claim, no more than 10 total claims, and no multiple dependent claims. They must be filed before publication of the notice in the Federal Register, not yet assigned to an examiner, and set for publication. Pending applications can be amended to meet these requirements, though each inventor is limited to four petitions.
This program offers a faster path to patent protection for eligible applicants.
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