ERROR 1
ERROR 1
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
Password and Confirm password must match.
If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)
ERROR 2
ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.
The Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) says it will begin accepting requests for expedited patent examination on May 4. The fast-track program guarantees inventors and businesses that, for a fee, their applications will be processed in only 12 months, rather than the current average of nearly three years. The program, called Track One, is part of a new three-track system that will provide applicants with greater control over when their applications are examined. The other tracks will be a delayed track allowing for up to 30 months of inaction on the application and a traditional processing track. PTO says it expects the delayed track will be available to applicants by Sept. 30. Filing a request for prioritized examination will cost an additional $4,000 on top of the base examination fee of $1,090. To meet the 12-month goal, PTO will limit the number of applications in the program to 10,000 in the first year. “Track One provides a comprehensive, flexible patent application processing model to our nation’s innovators, offering different processing options that are more responsive to the real-world needs of our applicants,” PTO Director David J. Kappos said in a statement.
Join the conversation
Contact the reporter
Submit a Letter to the Editor for publication
Engage with us on X