Patent Office Raises Annual Cap on Fast-Tracked Applications (1)

The US Patent and Trademark Office expanded a Biden-era interim rule allowing it to prioritize thousands of additional patent applications each year under its Track One program, boosting the number to 20,000.

Under a final rule set to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the cap on the number of applications the PTO can accept would increase by a third to 20,000, beginning with fiscal 2025, the current fiscal year. The program, which is available to filers for a fee, allows for final disposition of applications within about 12 months, according to the agency’s website.

Interim rules ...