The Patent and Trademark Office (Office) is proposing to amend the rules of practice in patent cases to simplify the requirements of the rules, rearrange portions of the rules for better context, and eliminate unnecessary rules or portions thereof as part of a government-wide effort to reduce the regulatory burden on the American public. The procedure for filing of continuation and divisional applications would be simplified. Another type of simplification being proposed that would affect several rules is the acceptance of a statement that errors were made without deceptive intent, unaccompanied by any further showing of facts and circumstances. The naming of inventors would no longer be required on filing of the application in order to obtain a filing date, which would eliminate the need for certain petitions to correct inventorship.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/1996/09/23/96-23665/1996-changes-to-patent-practice-and-procedure (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
Legacy system and where it moved
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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) has prepared interim guidance (2014 Interim Guidance on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility, called "Interim Eligibility Guidance") for use by USPTO personnel in determining subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. 101 in view of recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court (Supreme Court). This Interim Eligibility Guidance supplements the June 25, 2014, Preliminary Examination Instructions in view of the Supreme Court decision in Alice Corp. (June 2014 Preliminary Instructions) and supersedes the March 4, 2014, Procedure For Subject Matter Eligibility Analysis Of Claims Reciting Or Involving Laws Of Nature/Natural Principles, Natural Phenomena, And/Or Natural Products (March 2014 Procedure) issued in view of the Supreme Court decisions in Myriad and Mayo. The USPTO is seeking public comment on this Interim Eligibility Guidance along with additional suggestions on claim examples for explanatory example sets.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2014/12/16/2014-29414/2014-interim-guidance-on-patent-subject-matter-eligibility (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
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Patents for Humanity is an annual program through which the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recognizes patent holders who use their technology for humanitarian purposes. This year, the USPTO will accept applications for recognition under the program from July 1, 2015, to December 4, 2015. All other program terms remain the same as the terms of the 2014 program.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/06/29/2015-15854/2015-application-period-for-the-patents-for-humanity-program (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has prepared revised guidance (2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance) for use by USPTO personnel in evaluating subject matter eligibility. The 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance revises the procedures for determining whether a patent claim or patent application claim is directed to a judicial exception (laws of nature, natural phenomena, and abstract ideas) under Step 2A of the USPTO's Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance in two ways. First, the 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance explains that abstract ideas can be grouped as, e.g., mathematical concepts, certain methods of organizing human activity, and mental processes. Second, this guidance explains that a patent claim or patent application claim that recites a judicial exception is not "directed to" the judicial exception if the judicial exception is integrated into a practical application of the judicial exception. A claim that recites a judicial exception, but is not integrated into a practical application, is directed to the judicial exception under Step 2A and must then be evaluated under Step 2B (inventive concept) to determine the subject matter eligibility of the claim. The USPTO is seeking public comment on its subject matter eligibility guidance, and particularly the 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/01/07/2018-28282/2019-revised-patent-subject-matter-eligibility-guidance (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
Legacy system and where it moved
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The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (America Invents Act) includes provisions for prioritized examination of patent applications that have been implemented by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) in previous rulemakings. The America Invents Act provides that the Office may not accept more than 10,000 requests for prioritization in any fiscal year (October 1 to September 30) until regulations setting another limit are prescribed. The Office published an interim rule in 2019 expanding the availability of prioritized examination by increasing the limit on the number of prioritized examination requests that may be accepted in a fiscal year to 12,000. The current interim rule further expands the availability of prioritized examination by increasing the limit on the number of prioritized examination requests that may be accepted in a fiscal year to 15,000.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/09/24/2021-20530/2021-increase-of-the-annual-limit-on-accepted-requests-for-track-one-prioritized-examination (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
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In accordance with Executive Order 14110 on the "Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence" (October 30, 2023) (Executive Order), the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is issuing a guidance update on patent subject matter eligibility to address innovation in critical and emerging technologies (ET), especially artificial intelligence (AI). This guidance update will assist USPTO personnel and stakeholders in evaluating the subject matter eligibility of claims in patent applications and patents involving inventions related to AI technology (AI inventions). This update also announces a new set of examples that are intended to assist USPTO personnel in applying the USPTO's subject matter eligibility guidance to AI inventions during patent examination, appeal, and post-grant proceedings. In addition to addressing issues especially relevant to AI inventions, this guidance update addresses feedback from our stakeholders and includes discussions of recent Federal Circuit decisions on patent subject matter eligibility. This guidance update, together with the guidance provided in the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP), is to be used by USPTO personnel when applying subject matter eligibility law.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/07/17/2024-15377/2024-guidance-update-on-patent-subject-matter-eligibility-including-on-artificial-intelligence (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
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Fee
Fee mentioned in title or summary (Confirmed in the document text)
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is extending the comment period for the notice titled "2024 Guidance Update on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility, Including on Artificial Intelligence" that was published in the Federal Register on July 17, 2024. The notice's comment period is extended until October 16, 2024. This will be the only extension of the comment period.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/09/17/2024-21085/2024-guidance-update-on-patent-subject-matter-eligibility-including-on-artificial-intelligence (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
Legacy system and where it moved
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The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) includes provisions for prioritized examination of patent applications. Those provisions have been implemented by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in previous rulemakings. The AIA provides that the USPTO may not accept more than 10,000 requests for prioritization in any fiscal year (October 1 to September 30) until regulations setting another limit are prescribed. In 2019 and 2021, the USPTO published interim rules that expanded the limit on the number of requests to 12,000 and 15,000, respectively. The current final rule further expands the availability of prioritized examination by increasing the limit on the number of prioritized examination requests that may be accepted in a fiscal year to 20,000.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/08/2025-12644/2025-increase-of-the-annual-limit-on-accepted-requests-for-prioritized-examination (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
Legacy system and where it moved
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This advance notice of proposed rule making is to inform the public that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is considering amending its rules of practice to require submission of chemical and three-dimensional (3-D) biological structural data in electronic format. The USPTO anticipates that requiring submission of chemical and 3-D biological structural data in electronic format in patent applications will improve the processing and examination of patent applications that include such data, as well as the dissemination of such data to searchable public databases. The purpose of this notice is to encourage comments on this topic, in the form of responses to the questions posed in this notice, from industry, academia, the patent bars, and members of the public. Comment Deadline Date: To be ensured of consideration, written comments must be received on or before August 22, 2005. No public hearing will be held.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2005/06/21/05-12199/acceptance-processing-use-and-dissemination-of-chemical-and-three-dimensional-biological-structural (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is implementing the first phase of the Access to Relevant Prior Art Initiative ("RPA Initiative") to import citations (e.g., bibliographic data on forms PTO/SB/08 and PTO-892) from the immediate parent application into the continuing application. The citations corresponding to the documents considered by the examiner in the continuing application will be printed on the face of the patent issuing from the continuing application without the applicant having to resubmit the information on an Information Disclosure Statement. Additionally, an applicant's duty to disclose information in the continuing application will continue to be satisfied for information considered in the parent application and will be satisfied for any additional information made of record by the Office in the continuing application. The RPA Initiative is being developed in response to public input following an August 29, 2016, notice and September 28, 2016, roundtable event on leveraging electronic resources to retrieve information from applicant's other applications. The USPTO plans to implement the RPA Initiative in phases to consider and address public and examiner feedback at each phase and determine how to effectively expand the RPA Initiative in future phases.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/10/25/2018-23338/access-to-relevant-prior-art-initiative (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
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Fee
Fee mentioned in title or summary (Confirmed in the document text)
The interim final rule removes the regulation dealing with the Government's foreign rights in inventions made by Government employees, and expands the uniform patent policy for domestic rights in inventions to include foreign rights in order to have a uniform patent policy for all rights in inventions made by Government employees. The rule also removes the regulation dealing with the licensing of foreign patents acquired by the Government, which is inconsistent with 37 CFR Part 404 on the licensing of Government-owned inventions. This action is taken in keeping with the goals of the National Performance Review and in order to comply with recent Executive Orders that address regulatory reforms. The rule also revises the uniform patent policy to permit an agency to impose certain conditions on the employee's title to the invention where the agency decides not to file a patent application, some of which are authorized by Sec. 15 of the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986; to require agencies to provide the inventor, prior to appeal, with a full explanation of the agency determination and a copy of 37 CFR Part 501 in all cases where the agency has determined that the Government is entitled to title or a license in the invention in order to reduce the number of appeals; and to require agencies to decide if they should file any foreign patent applications within 8 months from filing a patent application in the U.S. or to authorize agencies to use an option to acquire foreign rights from the employee in order to avoid the need to transfer back the foreign rights to the employee if the agency does not file a foreign patent application within 8 months of filing an unclassified patent application in the U.S.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/1996/08/07/96-19713/acquisition-and-protection-of-foreign-rights-in-inventions-licensing-of-foreign-patents-acquired-by (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
Legacy system and where it moved
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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) conducted a roundtable to obtain public input on deferral of examination for patent applications, and invited the public to submit written comments on issues raised at the roundtable or on any issue pertaining to deferral of examination. The USPTO is providing an additional comment period so that members of the public may submit additional comments on any issue pertaining to deferral of examination, and may also submit comments in reply to the comments on deferred examination that the USPTO has already received.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2009/06/16/E9-14154/additional-period-for-comments-on-deferred-examination-for-patent-applications (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
Legacy system and where it moved
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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has prepared interim examination instructions for evaluating patent subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. 101 (Interim Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Examination Instructions) pending a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Bilski v. Kappos, and invited the public to submit written comments on the Interim Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Examination Instructions. The USPTO is extending the comment period to ensure that members of the public have sufficient opportunity to submit comments on the Interim Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Examination Instructions. The USPTO will revise the instructions as appropriate based on comments received. Comment Deadline Date: Written comments must be received on or before November 9, 2009. No public hearing will be held.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2009/10/09/E9-24395/additional-period-for-comments-on-interim-examination-instructions-for-evaluating-patent-subject (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
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The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/1996/03/04/96-4903/address-affecting-provisions (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
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This request for comments seeks public input on proposed administrative updates to the General Requirements Bulletin for Admission to the Examination for Registration to Practice in Patent Cases Before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (GRB). There are three categories of technical and scientific qualifications that may typically make applicants eligible: Category A for specified bachelor's degrees, Category B for other bachelor's degrees with technical and scientific training, and Category C for practical engineering or scientific experience, which may be demonstrated by passing the Fundamentals of Engineering test. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) evaluates the criteria for applicants to sit for the registration examination on an ongoing basis. Based on this ongoing evaluation, the USPTO is looking into changing the criteria to: Add common Category B degrees to Category A, accept advanced degrees (i.e., master's and doctoral degrees) under Category A, and accept a combination of core sciences under Category B, Options 2 and 4, so long as one of the core science courses has a lab component.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/03/23/2021-05940/administrative-updates-to-the-general-requirements-bulletin-for-admission-to-the-examination-for (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
Legacy system and where it moved
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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) previously published a notice requesting comments on the implementation of certain administrative updates to the General Requirements Bulletin for Admission to the Examination for Registration to Practice in Patent Cases Before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (GRB). The USPTO has considered the comments and, based on the support for the proposals, is implementing the updates to the GRB. There are three categories of technical and scientific qualifications that may typically make applicants eligible to sit for the registration examination: Category A for specified bachelor's degrees, Category B for other bachelor's degrees with technical and scientific training, and Category C for practical engineering or scientific experience, which may be demonstrated by passing the Fundamentals of Engineering test. Based on the USPTO's evaluation and comments received, the USPTO is changing the criteria to: Add common Category B degrees to Category A, accept advanced degrees (i.e., master's and doctor of philosophy degrees) under Category A, and accept a combination of core sciences under Category B, Options 2 and 4, so long as one of the core science courses has a lab component.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/09/22/2021-20378/administrative-updates-to-the-general-requirements-bulletin-for-admission-to-the-examination-for (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
Legacy system and where it moved
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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) announces that, after reviewing and evaluating the scientific and technical criteria for admission to practice in all patent matters, it is moving one Category B degree, Biomedical Science, to Category A, thereby expanding the admission criteria of the patent bar. In keeping pace with ever-evolving technology and related teachings that qualify someone to practice before the USPTO, this update will encourage broader participation of prospective patent practitioners. This action is being taken pursuant to the USPTO's periodic review of Category B degrees and the transition of commonly accepted Category B degrees to Category A on a predetermined timeframe, namely every three years.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/11/2026-16315/administrative-updates-to-the-general-requirements-bulletin-for-admission-to-the-examination-for (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
Legacy system and where it moved
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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2014/06/30/2014-15217/admission-to-practice-and-roster-of-registered-patent-attorneys-and-agents-admitted-to-practice (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
Legacy system and where it moved
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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on a proposed information collection proposed extension of an existing information collection.
Current entry point
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/10/18/2017-22617/admission-to-practice-and-roster-of-registered-patent-attorneys-and-agents-admitted-to-practice (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
Legacy system and where it moved
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