Patent Fast Track Examination Begins May 4th - $4000
Track-1 Prioritized Filing System Starts
A new Patent filing prioritization system, known as Track-1, will begin as of May 4th, 2011.
Track-1 filing will offer a shortened examination period, goal of a 12 month turn around to final disposition, for an extra fee of $4000. The filing must meet certain criteria to be eligible for Track-1 prioritization.
Requirements for Track-1:
- Application must be filed on or after May 4, 2011 using the the USPTO's electronic filing system
- Application must be "complete"
- The request for prioritized application must be filed with the application itself
- Application may contain no more than four independent and thirty total claims
- The $4,000 fee must be paid in addition to the normal filing fees.
USPTO asserts that it cannot offer a small-entity discount.
Specifically, the Office proposed to implement procedures under which an applicant would be able to: (1) Request prioritized examination of an original utility or plant nonprovisional application (Track I)
(2) request a delay in docketing the application for examination by filing a request for delay in payment of the search fee, the examination fee, the claims fees and the surcharge (if appropriate) for a maximum period not to exceed thirty months in an original utility or plant application filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) (Track III); or
(3) obtain processing under the current examination procedure (Track II) by not requesting either Track I or Track III processing.