United States Patent and Trademark Office July 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is extending the Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program, initiated on July 2, 2020, which provides for the advancement of applications out of their turn in the ex parte appeals phase of patent prosecution before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board). The Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program permits an appellant who has filed an ex parte appeal and received a notice that the appeal has been docketed to file a petition to expedite the review of the appeal. The Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program sets a target of reaching a decision on an ex parte appeal within six months from the date that the appeal is entered into the program.