On December 7, 2009, the USPTO announced a pilot program for accelerated review of certain green technology patent applications. The accelerated review will help keep America competitive by bringing new technologies to market faster.
Pending patent applications in green technologies will be eligible for expedited examination. The accelerated review is projected to reduce the time it takes to patent these technologies by approximately one year.
“The average pendency time for applications in green technology areas is approximately 30 months to a first office action and 40 months to a final decision. Under the pilot program, for the first 3,000 applications related to green technologies in which a proper petition is filed, the agency will examine the applications on an accelerated basis.”
- Katie Cooper
