uspto-patent · US Patent and Trademark Office · Published 2013-01-18 · Effective 2013-03-19 · 78 FR 4212
Document
Document number
2013-00819
Federal Register citation
78 FR 4212
CFR reference
37 CFR 1
Type
Rule
Action
Final rule.
Category
uspto-patent
Sub-agency
US Patent and Trademark Office
Publication date
2013-01-18
Effective date
2013-03-19
Commerce docket
Docket No. PTO-C-2011-0008
Abstract
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) sets or adjusts patent fees in this rulemaking as authorized by the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (Act or AIA). The fees will provide the Office with a sufficient amount of aggregate revenue to recover its aggregate cost of patent operations, while helping the Office implement a sustainable funding model, reduce the current patent application backlog, decrease patent application pendency, improve patent quality, and upgrade the Office's patent business information technology (IT) capability and infrastructure. The fees also will further key policy considerations. The Office also reduces fees for micro entities under section 10(b) of the Act by 75 percent in this rulemaking and extends the existing fee discount of 50 percent for small entities to additional fees in this rulemaking.