The USPTO may charge more fees as early as January 2024 for non-DOCX format patent applications. DOCX format patent applications would serve to modernize and streamline patent application systems of the USPTO which now offers applicants the ability to file patent application documents in DOCX format through EFS-Web and Patent Center. Use of any other…
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has reduced patent fees for small entities and micro entities. The USPTO has amended patent fees for small and micro entities set forth in its regulations to implement the provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023—which included the Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022 (UAIA). The UAIA,…
The “Maximum Qualifying Gross Income” for purposes of paying any eligible fee at the micro entity discount is currently $223,740 in the year 2023. If you meet the micro entity requirements, you are eligible for a little more than 80% reduction from most undiscounted fees. The “micro entity” status was first introduced on March 19,…
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) seems to have transitioned to mandatory telework with an unprecedented number of employees accessing agency IT systems from home. The agency discloses that, on average, over 13,000 secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections to the headquarters campus occur every day, which is a 75% increase over the…
The subject matter eligibility guidance (PEG) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) explains how the Office personnel including patent examiners should evaluate claims for patent subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. 101. The federal agency discloses that the October 2019 Update responds to public comments regarding the 2019 PEG. The update does…