Patents for Humanity Program, 18670-18674 [2014-07489]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• United States Patent and Trademark Office

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 64 (Thursday, April 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18670-18674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07489]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No. PTO-P-2014-0018]


Patents for Humanity Program

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or 
Office) recently concluded a twelve-month pilot program called Patents 
for Humanity to incentivize the use of patented technologies for 
humanitarian purposes, culminating with an awards ceremony in April 
2013. Following the success of this pilot, the USPTO is continuing 
Patents for Humanity as an annual awards competition. The USPTO will 
announce an application period each year of the competition. For 2014, 
applications will be accepted from April 15 to September 15, 2014. 
Participants will submit program applications describing what actions 
they have taken with their patented technology to either address 
humanitarian needs among an impoverished population or further research 
by others on humanitarian technologies. Applications will be accepted 
in five categories: (1) Medicine, (2) Nutrition, (3) Sanitation, (4) 
Household Energy, and (5) Living Standards. Independent judges will 
review the program applications, and Federal employees from other 
agencies will recommend awards based on these reviews.
    For the 2014 competition, two types of awards will be made: Patents 
for Humanity Awards and honorable mentions. The Patents for Humanity 
Award is the top award for applicants best representing the Patents for 
Humanity principles. Patents for Humanity Award recipients in 2014 will 
receive a certificate to accelerate select matters before the USPTO and 
public recognition for their efforts, including an award ceremony 
sponsored by the USPTO. Honorable mentions in 2014 will receive 
accelerated examination of one patent application and a featured 
writeup on the USPTO Web site. A portion of honorable mentions may be 
awarded for the best up and coming technologies. The USPTO expects to 
award roughly ten Patents for Humanity Awards and up to twenty 
honorable mentions in 2014. The exact number of awards may vary 
depending on the number and quality of program applications received. 
Types of awards for subsequent years will be announced with the 
application period in the Federal Register.
    Patents for Humanity certificates awarded through the 2014 
competition can be redeemed to accelerate one of the following matters: 
An ex parte reexamination proceeding, including one appeal to the 
Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) from that proceeding; a patent 
application, including one appeal to the PTAB from that application; or 
an appeal to the PTAB of a claim twice rejected in a patent application 
or reissue application or finally rejected in an ex parte 
reexamination, without accelerating the underlying matter which 
generated the appeal. Inter partes reexaminations and interference 
proceedings are not eligible for acceleration, nor are post-grant 
reviews, inter partes reviews, covered business method reviews, 
derivation proceedings, or supplemental examinations. Certificates 
awarded are not transferable to other parties.

DATES: Program applications for 2014 will be accepted from April 15 to 
September 15, or until 300 applications are received, whichever comes 
first.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about the program, 
contact Edward Elliott, Office of Policy and International Affairs, by 
telephone at 571-272-7024; or by facsimile transmission to 571-273-
0123; or by mail addressed to: Patents for Humanity Program, Attention: 
Edward Elliott, Office of Policy and International Affairs, United 
States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 
22313-1450.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In September 2010, the USPTO requested 
comments from the public on proposals to incentivize the development 
and distribution of technologies that address humanitarian needs. See 
Request for Comments on Incentivizing Humanitarian Technologies and 
Licensing Through the Intellectual Property System, 75 FR 57261 
(September 20, 2010), 1359 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 121 (October 12, 
2010). A pilot program was announced in February 2012. See 77 FR 6544 
(February 8, 2012).

Application Process

    The remainder of this notice describes the terms and conditions of 
the annual program and details for 2014. To enter the competition, 
applicants must submit program applications describing how their 
actions satisfy the competition criteria given below. Program 
applications are not patent applications but separate documents created 
for this program. The term ``application'' throughout this notice shall 
mean program application, rather than patent application, unless 
otherwise noted. Likewise, ``applicant'' shall mean program applicant, 
rather than patent applicant, unless otherwise noted.
    Each year, the USPTO will announce an application period for 
submitting Patents for Humanity applications. Applications for 2014 
will be accepted from April 15 to September 15, 2014, or until 300 
applications are received, whichever occurs first. That is, if that 
limit is reached before the application deadline, then the application 
period will close. Applications must be submitted electronically to an 
on-line application portal by following the instructions posted at 
https://www.uspto.gov/patentsforhumanity. Submissions will be publicly 
available on the application portal after being screened for 
inappropriate material. Submissions containing incomplete or 
inappropriate material will not be considered.
    For consistent and timely evaluation, applications will consist of 
a core section and supplements. Application forms will be available 
from the USPTO Web site at https://www.uspto.gov/patentsforhumanity. The 
core section will address how the applicant meets the defined 
competition criteria within a strict five-page limit. Applications 
exceeding this limit may be removed from consideration. Applicants may 
supplement the core section with any supporting material they wish to

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provide, such as project brochures, adoption data, case studies, 
published articles, or third party testimonials. Judges will review the 
core section of every application they evaluate. Judges may review any, 
all, or none of each application's supplementary material at their 
discretion.
    After the application period ends, judges will review and score the 
applications. Based on these reviews, USPTO will forward the top-
scoring applications to reviewers from participating Federal agencies 
to recommend award recipients. Final decisions on awards are made at 
the discretion of the Director of the USPTO. The program's goal is to 
complete the recommendation process within 90 days of the close of the 
application period.
    The USPTO will endeavor to balance the number of awards in each 
category to reflect the quality of applications received. The USPTO may 
reassign applications to other categories or modify categories as 
needed. The actual number of awards given may vary depending on the 
number and quality of submissions.
    Once awards have been determined, the USPTO will notify the 
awardees and schedule a public awards ceremony. The USPTO will attempt 
to notify awardees four weeks before the ceremony date if circumstances 
permit.
    This program involves information collection requirements which are 
subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). The 
collection of information involved in this program has been reviewed 
and approved by OMB under 5 CFR 1320.13.

Judging Process

    Applications will be reviewed by independent judges chosen from 
outside the USPTO. The qualifications for judges are described below. 
Each judge will review a set of applications based on the judging 
criteria and selection factors below, and then submit their scores and 
evaluations to the USPTO.
    Each application will be reviewed by multiple judges. To encourage 
fair, open, and impartial evaluations, judges will perform their 
reviews independently, and the reviews will not be released to the 
public as permissible by law. After awards have been made, applicants 
may request from the USPTO a copy of the reviews for their application 
with the judges' names redacted. Reviews will be sent to either the 
address on file with the application or another address verified as 
belonging to the applicant.
    After judges have submitted their evaluations, the top scoring 
applications will be forwarded to reviewers from participating Federal 
agencies to make recommendations on awards. The USPTO will request 
these recommendations be provided within 90 days of the end of the 
application period, if possible. After the recommendations are received 
and final recipients chosen, the USPTO will notify winners and schedule 
a public awards ceremony.
    All awards are subject to the approval of the Director of the 
USPTO. Results may not be challenged for relief before the USPTO.

Eligibility

    The competition is open to any patent owners, patent applicants, or 
patent licensees, including inventors who have not assigned their 
ownership rights to others, assignees, and exclusive or non-exclusive 
licensees. Each program application must involve technology that is the 
subject of one or more claims in an issued U.S. utility patent or a 
pending U.S. utility patent application owned or licensed by the 
applicant. If using a patent application as the basis for the program 
application, applicants must show that a Notice of Allowance for one or 
more claims from that patent application has been issued before any 
certificate will be awarded. Honorary recognition may be given without 
this showing at the Director's discretion. Inventions from any field of 
technology applied to one of the competition categories may 
participate.
    Applicants may team together to submit a single joint application 
covering the actions of multiple parties. At least one applicant in a 
joint application must meet the eligibility criteria above. Only one 
certificate will be issued to a team of joint applicants selected for 
an award, and the certificate can be redeemed only in one matter (e.g., 
a single patent application examination, a single ex parte 
reexamination proceeding, etc.). Joint applications must designate a 
single applicant as the recipient for any acceleration certificate 
awarded on their application, and that recipient must meet the 
applicant eligibility criteria described in this notice. The designated 
recipient may be changed at any time before a certificate is issued by 
written consent of all parties to the application.
    Licensees and patent owners may team together to submit a joint 
program application where both parties contributed to a humanitarian 
endeavor. Alternatively, patent owners or licensees may apply on their 
own based on actions they have performed without the other party. For 
applications which do not list a patent owner as a joint applicant, the 
licensee must notify the patent owner and provide them a copy of their 
completed application before the close of the application period. 
Within 14 days of being notified, patent owners may submit a two-page 
written statement regarding such an application with any additional 
information they wish the judges to consider. The lack of such a 
statement will not prejudice an application.
    There is no preset limit on the number of awards that can be given 
per technology or per program applicant. Applicants can determine how 
many program applications to submit and which actions and technologies 
to cover in each application. However, the diversity requirement 
discourages granting multiple awards to the same technology or 
applicant. See Selection Factors, below, for more information.

Competition Criteria

    Program applications must demonstrate how the applicants' actions 
have increased the use of patented technology to address humanitarian 
issues. For this competition, a humanitarian issue is one significantly 
affecting the public health or quality of life of an impoverished 
population. Judges will examine whether the criteria have been met for 
a humanitarian issue based on the description in the application.
    Applicants will select which category best fits their application, 
chosen from the following: (1) Medicine, (2) Nutrition, (3) Sanitation, 
(4) Household Energy, and (5) Living Standards. Medicine encompasses 
technology for any medical treatment or service, including medicines 
and vaccines, diagnostic equipment, medical devices, implants, 
assistive devices, epidemiology, and preventive medicine. Nutrition 
includes not only agricultural technology like drought-resistant crops, 
more nutritious crop strains, and farming equipment, but also 
technologies which improve food production, processing, preservation 
and storage, or preparation. Sanitation includes not only issues with 
clean water and waste treatment, but also other environmental issues 
with a demonstrable impact on human health, such as air pollution, 
toxic substances, chemical exposure, or land mines. Household Energy 
involves providing power to homes and communities for light, heating, 
cooking, or other basic needs in areas without reliable electricity. 
Living Standards encompasses a wide range of issues that empower people 
to escape poverty, such

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as education, literacy, access to information, communications, internet 
access, access to markets, and microfinance. Technologies in this 
category include portable computers, cell phones, or internet access 
devices being used to foster literacy, education, or other life-
changing knowledge.
    Applicants will designate the category in which they wish their 
application to be considered. The Office may reassign an application to 
another category at its discretion. Categories may be altered when 
awards are made to better reflect the applications received that year.
    Within the selected category, each application must address either 
one of two sets of judging criteria: (1) Humanitarian use or (2) 
humanitarian research. The humanitarian use criteria recognize those 
who apply eligible technologies to positively impact a humanitarian 
issue. Examples of technologies with potential humanitarian uses 
include treatments for disease, medical diagnostics, water 
purification, more nutritious or higher-yield crops, off-grid solar 
lighting, and education or literacy devices, among others. The focus is 
on demonstrable real-world improvements in the lives of the poor. 
Applicants must show:
    (i) Subject Matter--the applicant's technology, which is claimed in 
a U.S. utility patent in force at the time or a pending U.S. utility 
patent application, effectively addresses a recognized humanitarian 
issue.
    (ii) Target Population--the applicant's actions target an 
impoverished population affected by the humanitarian issue.
    (iii) Contribution--the applicant took meaningful actions to make 
the technology more available for humanitarian uses. This only includes 
actions taken by the applicant.
    (iv) Impact--the applicant's contributions have significantly 
advanced deployment of the technology to benefit the target population. 
This includes downstream actions by third parties building on the 
applicant's contributions.
    Alternatively, the humanitarian research criteria recognize 
increasing the availability of patented technologies to other 
researchers for conducting research with a humanitarian purpose. 
Examples of technologies with potential to advance humanitarian 
research include patented molecules, drug discovery tools, gene 
sequencing or splicing devices, special-purpose seed strains, data 
analysis software, or other patented research material. The focus is on 
contributing needed tools to areas of humanitarian research lacking 
commercial application. Applicants under this criteria must 
demonstrate:
    (i) Subject Matter--the applicant's technology, which is claimed in 
a U.S. utility patent in force at the time or a pending U.S. utility 
patent application, effectively supports research by others, e.g., as a 
tool or input.
    (ii) Neglected Field--the research by others clearly targets a 
humanitarian issue in an area lacking significant commercial 
application.
    (iii) Contribution--the applicant took meaningful actions to make 
the technology more available for research by others in the neglected 
field. This only includes actions taken by the applicant.
    (iv) Impact--the research by others has a high potential for 
significant impact on the neglected field. This includes downstream 
actions by third parties using the applicant's contributions.

Selection Factors

    In addition to the competition criteria, a number of selection 
factors will be considered in choosing recipients. Unlike judging 
criteria, selection factors are not items that applicants address in 
their applications. Rather, they are guiding principles for 
administering the competition.
    Three neutrality principles apply. First, the program will be 
technology neutral, meaning applications may be drawn to any field of 
technology with patentable subject matter applied to one of the five 
competition categories. Second, it will be geographically neutral, 
meaning the impoverished population benefiting from the humanitarian 
activities can be situated anywhere in the world. Third, evaluations 
will be financially neutral, meaning the underlying financial model for 
the applicant's actions (for-profit or otherwise) is not considered. 
The focus is only on the ultimate humanitarian outcome.
    Diversity of awarded technologies will also factor into selections. 
Part of the program's mission is to showcase the numerous ways in which 
the patent community contributes to humanitarian efforts. Just as no 
single technology addresses every humanitarian issue, no single 
contribution model will work in every situation. Selected awardees 
should therefore encompass a range of technologies, types and sizes of 
entities, and models of contributions.
    The decision to award a certificate rests solely within the 
Director's discretion and cannot be challenged before the USPTO or any 
Federal agency.

Selection of Judges

    Judges will be selected by the USPTO each award cycle. Candidates 
with the following qualifications will be preferred:
    (1) Recognized subject matter expertise in medicine, science, 
engineering, economics, business, law, public policy, or a related 
field.
    (2) Demonstrated understanding of technology commercialization.
    (3) Experience with peer review processes such as grant 
applications or academic journal submissions.
    (4) Knowledge of humanitarian issues, especially the practical 
challenges presented with delivering goods and services to areas with 
inadequate transportation, electricity, security, government, or other 
infrastructure.
    Additionally, judges will be chosen to minimize conflicts of 
interest, e.g., by avoiding candidates employed by, or with clients in, 
industries relevant to this program. Candidates from academia are 
desired. A conflict of interest occurs when a judge (a) has significant 
personal or financial interests in, or is an employee, officer, 
director, or agent of, any entity participating in the competition, or 
(b) has a significant familial or financial relationship with an 
individual who is participating. When a conflict of interest does 
arise, the judge must recuse himself or herself from evaluating the 
affected applications.

Awards

    Winners of the 2014 competition will receive recognition for their 
humanitarian efforts at a public awards ceremony with the Director of 
the USPTO or other executive branch official. They will also receive an 
acceleration certificate which can be redeemed to accelerate select 
matters before the USPTO. For the 2014 competition, eligible matters 
shall be one of the following: (i) An ex parte reexamination 
proceeding, including one appeal to the PTAB from that proceeding; (ii) 
a patent application, including one appeal to the PTAB from that 
application; or (iii) an appeal to the PTAB of a claim twice rejected 
in a patent application or reissue application or finally rejected in 
an ex parte reexamination. When redeemed for a patent application or an 
ex parte reexamination, only the first appeal to the PTAB arising from 
that matter will be accelerated. Alternatively, the certificate may be 
used to accelerate an appeal to the PTAB of a final rejection in a 
patent application or reissue application without accelerating the 
underlying matter which generated the

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appeal. Inter partes reexaminations and interference proceedings are 
not eligible for acceleration, nor are post grant reviews, inter partes 
reviews, covered business method reviews, derivation proceedings, or 
supplemental examinations.
    Certificates awarded in the program are not transferable to other 
parties.
    Honorable mentions will receive a certificate for accelerated 
examination of one patent application and a featured writeup on the 
USPTO Web site. Honorable mention accelerations will only result in the 
acceleration of a patent application examination, and not any 
subsequent appeal from that application. A portion of honorable 
mentions may be awarded for the best up and coming technologies.
    Each certificate may be redeemed only once and only towards one 
matter. Certificates must be redeemed within 12 months of their date of 
issuance. Certificates not redeemed within 12 months of issuance will 
expire and may not be redeemed. Holders of expiring or expired 
certificates may petition that the USPTO extend the redemption period 
of their certificate for an additional 12 months beyond the original 
expiration date. This petition incurs no fee. Petitioners should 
explain why the additional time is needed, such as not having a 
suitable matter or expecting a pending matter which is not yet ripe for 
certificate redemption. The decision whether to extend the redemption 
period of a certificate rests solely within the Director's discretion 
and cannot be challenged before the USPTO or any Federal agency. Once a 
certificate has been redeemed, it is no longer eligible for extension.
    The certificate may be applied to an eligible matter for any patent 
or patent application in which the certificate holder has an ownership 
interest, not just those related to the recipient's Patents for 
Humanity submission. Certificate holders may not redeem a certificate 
to accelerate the matter of another patent owner or patent applicant. 
Types of awards for subsequent years will be announced with the 
application period in the Federal Register.

Certificate Redemption Process

    When redeeming a humanitarian certificate, the certificate holder 
must notify the USPTO with the certificate number, the relevant 
application serial number or ex parte reexamination control number, and 
any other pertinent information, such as the appeal number, if 
assigned. The USPTO will determine whether the certificate may be 
redeemed by checking that the certificate is valid, that the redeeming 
party is the certificate holder or its agent, that the matter is 
eligible for certificate acceleration, and that the Office has 
sufficient resources to accelerate the matter without unduly impacting 
others. The USPTO will promptly notify the certificate holder whether 
the redemption is accepted. If the redemption fails for lack of 
ownership interest or insufficient Office resources, the certificate 
holder retains the certificate and may redeem it in another matter 
subject to the same constraints.
    Under this program, there will be a limit of 15 certificate 
redemptions per fiscal year to accelerate ex parte reexaminations. This 
limit is due to the smaller overall number of reexamination proceedings 
handled by the Office compared to the larger overall number of patent 
applications and appeals concurrently handled by the Office. Only the 
first 15 accepted redemption requests for an ex parte reexamination in 
a given fiscal year will receive accelerated processing. Any number of 
certificates up to the number issued may be redeemed to accelerate 
patent applications or appeals to the PTAB without accelerating the 
underlying matter which generated the appeal (including appeals from ex 
parte reexaminations).
    Certificates redeemed for accelerated appeals to the PTAB will 
receive the following treatment. Accelerated appeals will be taken out 
of turn for assignment to a panel. Other processing in the matter will 
proceed normally. The USPTO's goal in accelerated cases already 
docketed to the PTAB, i.e., having an appeal number, is to proceed from 
certificate redemption to decision in under six months if no oral 
arguments are heard in the case, or within three months of the date of 
an oral argument. For certificates redeemed in appeals not already 
docketed at the PTAB, the goal is to reach decision in under six months 
from the date of the appeal number assignment if no oral arguments are 
heard in the case, or within three months of the date of an oral 
argument. For the first quarter of FY 2014, the average pendency from 
appeal number assignment to decision was 27 months. However, these 
numbers are expected to rise in coming quarters as there has been a 
sharp increase in appeal requests in recent months. Pendency also 
varies significantly by technology area.
    Certificates redeemed in ex parte reexamination proceedings will 
receive the following treatment. If redeemed with a request for 
reexamination, the request will be decided with a goal of two months 
rather than the three months provided by statute. Certificate 
redemption at the filing of a reexamination request will be treated as 
a waiver by the patent owner of the right to make a Patent Owner 
Statement under 37 CFR 1.530 after grant of proceeding. If the 
statement is waived and the request granted, a first Office action on 
the merits will accompany the order granting reexamination. If the 
reexamination request is denied, the certificate is not considered 
redeemed and may be applied to another matter. Patent owners may 
preserve the right to file a Patent Owner Statement by redeeming the 
certificate during the statutory window for filing the Patent Owner's 
Statement after the reexamination proceeding has been granted. 
Subsequent Office actions in accelerated reexaminations will be taken 
out of turn as the next item to be worked on from the reexamination 
specialist's docket. Petitions filed in the matter will be decided in 
time consistent with the accelerated proceeding. An appeal to the PTAB 
of a final rejection in an accelerated reexamination will be taken out 
of turn for assignment to a PTAB panel. Any resulting Notice of Intent 
to Issue Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate (NIRC) will receive 
expedited processing to the extent possible. Accelerated ex parte 
reexaminations will normally not be merged with other co-pending 
proceedings, including ex parte reexaminations, inter partes 
reexaminations, and reissue proceedings. Where required by statute, an 
accelerated matter may be terminated by a decision issued in another 
USPTO proceeding, such as post grant review.
    The USPTO's goal for processing accelerated reexaminations will be 
under six months from certificate redemption to final disposition, 
excluding time taken by the applicant for responses and any time on 
appeal. For the fourth quarter of FY 2013, the average pendency from 
filing a request for ex parte reexamination to an NIRC was 21.7 months, 
including applicant time.
    Humanitarian certificates redeemed to accelerate examination of a 
patent application will receive the following treatment. Patent 
applicants must present their certificate to receive accelerated 
examination. If any appeal to the PTAB arises from the examination 
accelerated with this certificate, the first appeal will also be 
accelerated according to the procedures for accelerated appeals to the 
PTAB described herein. Accelerations for honorable mentions will follow 
the same rules and procedures, except that no appeals will be 
accelerated. The

[[Page 18674]]

USPTO's goal in examinations accelerated by certificate will be a final 
disposition within 12 months of accelerated status being granted, not 
including the time for any appeals to the PTAB. As of January 2014, the 
average pendency for Track One prioritized examinations was 5.1 months 
from petition grant to allowance, while the average pendency for all 
applications was 28.3 months.

Acceleration Requirements

    In order to receive acceleration, the patent owner or patent 
applicant must agree to the following conditions. Accelerated patent 
applications may not contain at any time more than four independent 
claims, more than thirty total claims, or any multiple dependent 
claims. A humanitarian certificate can be redeemed in a patent 
application appeal or reissue application appeal to the PTAB at any 
time after a docketing notice has issued and before the matter is 
assigned to a PTAB panel. A certificate can only be redeemed for 
reexamination acceleration at the following points: (i) With the 
request for reexamination; (ii) during the period for patent owner 
comment after grant of proceeding; or (iii) when a final rejection is 
appealed to the PTAB. Certificates will not be accepted for 
reexamination proceedings at other times. During an accelerated 
reexamination, no more than three new independent claims and 20 total 
new claims may be added. New claims are those beyond the number 
contained in the patent at the time of the reexamination request. 
Claims may be added without triggering this limit by canceling an equal 
number of existing claims. All submissions in accelerated examinations 
must be filed electronically via EFS-Web. All petitions filed in the 
matter must be filed in good faith. Petitions for Revival and Requests 
for Continued Reexamination may not be filed. Failure by the applicant 
to abide by these conditions may result in the acceleration being 
revoked without return of the certificate and the matter reverting to 
normal processing.

Acceleration Recommendations

    To receive the greatest benefit from acceleration in an ex parte 
reexamination proceeding, the applicant is requested to do the 
following. The Patent Owner's Statement will be considered to be waived 
when a certificate is filed with a request for reexamination. If the 
patent owner desires to reserve the right to make a statement, however, 
the certificate should be filed instead during the statutory window for 
filing the Patent Owner's Statement after the reexamination proceeding 
has been granted. Acceleration will proceed from that point forward.
    Even where submissions in the accelerated matter are not required 
to be filed electronically, those submissions should be filed 
electronically. Conducting more than one examiner interview during 
prosecution should be avoided. Responses to all Office actions should 
be submitted within one month of receiving the Office action. Petitions 
should be avoided as much as possible. Failure to meet these conditions 
may result in longer processing times by the USPTO than the goals given 
above, but the matter will continue to receive accelerated processing 
as described herein to the extent possible.
    In all instances, certificate redemption is subject to available 
USPTO resources at the Director's discretion. If accelerating the 
matter would negatively impact other applicants, the USPTO may decline 
to redeem the certificate.

    Dated: March 31, 2014.
Michelle K. Lee,
Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and, 
Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2014-07489 Filed 4-2-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P