USPTO Postpones Expedited Patent Process

Due to recent budget constraints, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has indefinitely postponed its Track One expedited patent examination process that was scheduled to go into effect on May 4, 2011.

The final rule announcing the Track One process had been published in the Federal Register on April 4. However, the FY 2011 budget enacted on April 15 limited the USPTO's appropriation for this fiscal year to $2.09 billion. According to USPTO Director David Kappos, "Given this level of spending authority, USPTO will have to make significant reductions for the current fiscal year...We have not come by these decisions lightly; I recognize that these measures will create new challenges for our ability to carry out our agency's mission, but we will continue seeking innovative ways to do more with less."

Other budgetary cuts include the delay in the opening of a USPTO satellite office in Detroit, and restrictions on employee hiring, training, and overtime.