📈Increase in Annual Limit for Prioritized Patent Examination Requests
2025 Increase of the Annual Limit on Accepted Requests for Prioritized Examination
Summary
The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) includes provisions for prioritized examination of patent applications. Those provisions have been implemented by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in previous rulemakings. The AIA provides that the USPTO may not accept more than 10,000 requests for prioritization in any fiscal year (October 1 to September 30) until regulations setting another limit are prescribed. In 2019 and 2021, the USPTO published interim rules that expanded the limit on the number of requests to 12,000 and 15,000, respectively. The current final rule further expands the availability of prioritized examination by increasing the limit on the number of prioritized examination requests that may be accepted in a fiscal year to 20,000.
Agencies
- Commerce Department
- Patent and Trademark Office
Business Impact
$$ - Med
The text outlines an increase in the number of prioritized examination requests for patents from 15,000 to 20,000 per fiscal year, effective July 8, 2025. This change allows more businesses to expedite their patent examination process, potentially enhancing innovation and competitiveness.