The USPTO has accelerated the issuance of invention patent certificates

Recently, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a key procedural change that is worth noting for applicants who plan to file utility patent applications and want to obtain authorization.

Due to the issuance of electronic certificates eGrants, the USPTO has shortened the time between the patent "Issue Notification" and the official "Issue Date" to as short as 2 weeks, and may make it unnecessary to submit documents such as the Quick Path Information Disclosure Statement (QPIDS). This also shortens the time frame for submitting continued applications after paying the authorization fee. Previously, after the USPTO issued the authorization notice, the applicant usually received the patent certificate in about 3-6 weeks after paying the authorization fee, but before the authorization date, the applicant can still submit continued applications and divisional applications to seek broader or different scopes of protection based on the original application.

Based on the current changes in procedural time, Yezhima recommends that if an applicant needs to submit a continued application, it is best to submit a request for a continued application before paying the authorization fee and prepare an information disclosure statement to avoid losing the right to further apply due to time constraints.