Patent Office Extends Green Tech Program

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) says it is extending by one year a program for expedited processing of patent applications for green inventions, such as the development of a renewable energy source or a technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Green Technology Pilot Program, which was originally set to expire on Dec. 8, will continue until the end of 2011. “We’ve seen great results so far for those applications in the Green Technology Pilot Program, so we want to extend it for another year,” PTO Director David Kappos says. Since the initiative began in late 2009, a total of 790 green technology petitions have been approved.