Patent Office Formally Ends Expedited Design Patent Examination

The US Patent and Trademark Office formally ended fast-tracking examination of design patents applications, citing efforts to reduce pendency and combat fraud.

The expedited examination was suspended in April because there had been a “significant increase” in the number of requests to expedite applications that “negatively impacted” all design patent applications, according to a final rule set to publish Thursday in the Federal Register. The agency is eliminating expedited examination of design applications effective Thursday.

The PTO said its suspension notice highlighted an increase in the number of erroneous micro entity certifications—a business status that reduces the amount owed in ...