Beginning June 2, 2014, patent applicants have another vehicle to accelerate examination of a newly filed patent application – add a glossary.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office launched today a new pilot program on the use of a glossary section in a patent application for a computer-related or business method invention. The pilot aims to determine whether a glossary section in the specification of a patent application improves the clarity of patent claims and enhances patent quality by making the meaning of claims more clear to the USPTO and public. By adding a glossary and participating in the pilot program, applicants will have their applications examined out of turn.