Ruttler Law PLLC

USPTO Pilots Program to Accelerate the Patent Process for Small Entity Inventors

Posted Saturday, January 23, 2010 by Jim Ruttler.

The USPTO has announced intentions to launch a pilot program designed to give small entity inventors with two or more pending patent applications priority status if the applicant is willing to abandon an application that has yet to be examined. Applications are generally examined on a first file basis. However, this program will advance these special applications to the front of the examination queue. Director of the USPTO David Kappos said, “The program will accelerate protection for important innovations from independent inventors while reducing our unacceptable backlog. Getting these inventions to the market place quickly will also help stimulate the economy and create jobs”. The start date for the temporary pilot program will be announced in the next several weeks on the USPTO Web site.

http://www.uspto.gov/news/pr/2009/09_26.jsp

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