Initially announced in a news brief, beginning next week on May 13, 2025, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will be accelerating the Issue Dates for patents. Previously, the time between Issue Notification and Issue Date averaged around three weeks. The USPTO is reducing that time to approximately two weeks, allowing patent holders to bring their investments to the market earlier.
Previously the USPTO required time between grant and issuance in order to format and print the patent, however as the Office has now switched to publishing electronic grants (eGrants) via their online platform Patent Center this is no longer necessary. Additionally, the USPTO indicated further time is saved by eliminating redundancies in the process.
By shortening the wait time between the Issue Notification and the Issue Date, Applicants may avoid the need to file a Quick Path Information Disclosure Statement, and the prompter patent issuance will provide earlier protection for inventions. The change also reduces the lame duck period where the inventors and attorneys still have a duty to submit known prior art but where such submission might delay issuance. Further information about eGrants, Patent Center, and other USPTO modernization efforts can be found on the USPTO website.
Maier & Maier provides experienced IP counsel who can help with patent filings and strategies based on the newest trends and the ever-changing landscape of the USPTO.
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