Patent and Trademark Office March 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
Results 1 - 8 of 8
Grant of Interim Extension of the Term of U.S. Patent No. 9,314,630; Symplicity Spyral® System, Symplicity Spyral® Catheter, and Symplicity G3 Generator
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued an order granting a one-year interim extension of the term of U.S. Patent No. 9,314,630 ('630 patent).
Setting and Adjusting Patent Fees During Fiscal Year 2020
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) published a final rule in the Federal Register on August 3, 2020, that includes a fee for patent applications that are not filed in the DOCX format, except for design, plant, or provisional applications. The effective date of this new fee was most recently delayed in a final rule published in the Federal Register on December 29, 2022 and was scheduled to become effective on April 3, 2023. Through this final rule, the USPTO is delaying the effective date of this fee until June 30, 2023.
Reducing Patent Fees for Small Entities and Micro Entities Under the Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) amends patent fees for small and micro entities set forth in its regulations to implement the provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023which included the Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022 (UAIA). The UAIA, signed into law on December 29, 2022, supports the USPTO's efforts to reduce the innovation ecosystem's barriers to entry. The UAIA increased fee discounts for small entities from 50% to 60% and fee discounts for micro entities from 75% to 80% for fees for filing, searching, examining, issuing, appealing, and maintaining patent applications and patents. The UAIA also increased fee discounts for small entities from 75% to 80% for filing a basic nonprovisional utility application electronically.
First-Time Filer Expedited Examination Pilot Program
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) and its Council for Inclusive Innovation (CI\2\) are developing strategies to create a more equitable and diverse innovation ecosystem. As one strategy, the USPTO is implementing the First-Time Filer Expedited Examination Pilot Program, designed to increase accessibility to the patent system for inventors who are new to the patent application process, including those in historically underserved geographic and economic areas. The program expedites the first Office action for program participants. Expediting the first Office action reduces time-based barriers for inventors who may otherwise be unable to participate in the patent system, thereby advancing opportunity in the innovation ecosystem. The program requires participants to be reasonably trained in the patent application process so they can engage effectively with the Office and maximize the benefit of expedited examination. The pilot program website identifies a collection of free training resources for anyone interested in learning more about the patent application filing process. This notice outlines the conditions, eligibility requirements, and guidelines of the program.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Native American Tribal Insignia Database
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651- 0048 Native American Tribal Insignia Database. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the information collection to OMB.
Manual of Patent Examining Procedure, Ninth Edition, Revision of July 2022
To provide updates to patent examination policy and procedures in a single source, which will improve access to essential guidance for all stakeholders and help to ensure issuance of robust and reliable patents that promote and protect innovation, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) issued a revision of the Ninth Edition of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP), published in February 2023 (July 2022 revision). The MPEP provides patent examiners and the public with a reference work on the practices and procedures relative to the prosecution of patent applications and other proceedings before the USPTO. The MPEP contains instructions to examiners, as well as other material in the nature of information and interpretation, and outlines the current procedures that examiners are required or authorized to follow in the normal examination of patent applications and during other Office proceedings.
Establishing Permanent Electronic Filing for Patent Term Extension Applications
To further advance the United States Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO or Office) information technology strategy of achieving complete beginning-to-end electronic processing of patent-related submissions, the USPTO is revising the Rules of Practice in Patent Cases to require that patent term extension (PTE) applications, interim PTE applications, and any related submissions to the USPTO be submitted electronically via the USPTO patent electronic filing system (Patent Center or EFS-Web). The rule changes reduce the administrative burden on PTE applicants and improve administrative efficiency by facilitating electronic file management, optimizing workflow processes, and reducing processing errors.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
