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Rule2021-20530

2021 Increase of the Annual Limit on Accepted Requests for Track One Prioritized Examination

Primary source

Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.

Published
September 24, 2021
Effective
September 24, 2021

Issuing agencies

Commerce DepartmentPatent and Trademark Office

Abstract

The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (America Invents Act) includes provisions for prioritized examination of patent applications that have been implemented by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) in previous rulemakings. The America Invents Act provides that the Office may not accept more than 10,000 requests for prioritization in any fiscal year (October 1 to September 30) until regulations setting another limit are prescribed. The Office published an interim rule in 2019 expanding the availability of prioritized examination by increasing the limit on the number of prioritized examination requests that may be accepted in a fiscal year to 12,000. The current interim rule further expands the availability of prioritized examination by increasing the limit on the number of prioritized examination requests that may be accepted in a fiscal year to 15,000.

Indexed from Federal Register on September 24, 2021.

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.