Patent Office Touts Faster Processing Times for Applications

The Patent and Trademark Office said it beat its goals for cutting the time it takes to process patent applications, now giving an initial response in less than 15 months and finishing examinations in under two years, on average.

The Oct. 9 announcement shows how the agency, which receives thousands of patent applications each year, is working to strike a balance between giving examiners enough time to study applications and ensuring applicants aren’t waiting endlessly to learn whether they can patent an invention.

The agency is now clocking 14.7 months to provide applicants with a first action response from an ...