Suppose you have an inventor or applicant who asks you to file a patent application in the U.S. However, the applicant has limited financial resources for filing the patent application. Should you claim small entity status or...more
Overnight, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) lowered many fees for small and micro entities due to a component of the Consolidated Appropriations Act signed on December 29, 2022....more
The Unleashing American Innovators Act, which formed part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, was signed into law by President Biden on December 29, 2022. This Act increased the discount on most patent-related...more
At the time of filing any patent application with the United States and Patent Trademark Office (USPTO), patent applicants must designate their entity status. Selecting the correct entity status can significantly reduce...more
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) allows certain qualifying entities to receive discounts on various patent fees by identifying themselves as a “small entity ” or a “micro entity.” Below, we outline the requirements...more
It is advantageous for emerging companies to highlight their patent portfolio when seeking to attract investment, forge strategic partnerships, enter into collaborations, prepare for acquisition, enhance marketing, and...more
When applying for a patent application, certain entities are entitled to reduced USPTO filing fees. Applicants who qualify for small entity status can reduce many USPTO fees by 50%. Applicants who are micro entities can...more
Small business efforts to patent technology which deals with the COVID-19 outbreak will be getting a boost thanks to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)...more
On May 8, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) announced its new COVID-19 Prioritized Examination Pilot Program (“Pilot Program”) to provide prioritized examination of certain patent applications. To...more
On May 8, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a new program for expediting certain COVID-19 related patent applications. Under the COVID-19 Prioritized Examination Pilot Program, the USPTO...more
When filing a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), certain applicants have the option to designate “small entity status” or “micro entity status.” Claiming either small or micro...more
The short answer is that a company or individual who already is qualified as a small entity (which entitles you to 50% off U.S. patent filing costs) may also qualify under the final rules issued by the Patent Office for...more
As part of new rules introduced by the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA), a new section that defines a “micro entity” was added to Title 35 of the United States Code. As a subset of small entity status, micro entity...more
On March 19, 2013, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) implemented a new fee schedule as authorized by the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (Act). Among numerous changes in the fees for patent services...more
Determination of an entity’s size (e.g., small, micro or standard) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an important issue that affects budgets and dictates the applicable fee schedules at the USPTO....more