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[02.Feb.11] Patents
– USPTO begins effort to clear oldest unexamined
patent cases
Source: USPTO [adapted]
The United States Patent and Trademark
Office (USPTO) has announced a new effort to eliminate
the “tail” of backlog applications that
were more than 16 months old at the beginning of the
fiscal year and had not yet received a first Office
Action, known as “Clearing the Oldest Patent Applications”
(or COPA). This initiative is a critical first step
in reaching the agency’s strategic goal of providing
first Office Actions on all new applications in an average
of 10 months from their date of filing by 2014.
The goal for 2011 is to have a first
Office Action completed on nearly all of the 313,000
oldest backlog applications. Reaching this goal, however,
is highly dependent on the passage of a fiscal year
2011 budget that would provide sufficient resources
for hiring and examiner overtime.
“In the long run, COPA will result
in lower overall patent pendency – particularly
in light of applicants using the Track One option when
it becomes available in the coming months,” said
USPTO president. “Together, these efforts will
make a real difference in the speed at which applicants
will be able to get a decision on their patent applications.”
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