Changes To Implement the Prioritized Examination Track (Track I) of the Enhanced Examination Timing Control Procedures Under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act
On April 4, 2011, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) published a final rule that revised the rules of practice in patent cases to implement a procedure under which applicants may request prioritized examination at the time of filing of an application upon payment of appropriate fees and compliance with certain requirements (Track I final rule). The prioritized examination procedure is the first track (Track I) of a 3-Track examination process designed to provide applicants with greater control over when their utility and plant applications are examined and to promote greater efficiency in the patent examination process. The Office subsequently published a final rule on April 29, 2011, indicating that the effective date of the Track I final rule was delayed until further notice due to funding limitations. The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act includes provisions for prioritized examination that emulate the requirements of the Office's Track I final rule, with revised fee amounts for prioritized examination (including a small entity discount) and a provision that addresses the funding limitations that required a delay in the implementation of the Track I final rule. This final rule implements the prioritized examination provisions of section 11(h) of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act.
- Task
- Read the news
- Patent or trademark
- both
- Legacy system
- —
- Current entry point
- www.federalregister.gov/documents/2011/09/23/2011-24467/changes-to-implement-the-prioritized-examination-track-track-i-of-the-enhanced-examination-timing (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
- Legacy system and where it moved
- No legacy system name mention in title or summary )
- Fee
- Fee mentioned in title or summary (Confirmed in the document text)
- What you need (account or API key)
- No account or key mention in title or summary )
- Published
- 2011-09-23
- Document type
- Rule
- Source
- USPTO documents published in the Federal Register (Federal Register API)(retrieved 2026-10-06)
Everything in the same category
Read the news (all 1988) · both (all 2333)
Related entry points
- Changes To Implement the Prioritized Examination Track (Track I) of the Enhanced Examination Timing Control Procedures
- Changes To Implement the Prioritized Examination Track (Track I) of the Enhanced Examination Timing Control Procedures
- Changes To Implement the Prioritized Examination Track (Track I) of the Enhanced Examination Timing Control Procedures
- Enhanced Examination Timing Control Initiative; Notice of Public Meeting
- Changes To Permit Delayed Submission of Certain Requirements for Prioritized Examination
- Revisions To Implement the Patent Term Adjustment Provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act Technical Corrections Act
- Changes to Permit Delayed Submission of Certain Requirements for Prioritized Examination
- Changes To Implement the Prioritized Examination for Requests for Continued Examination
- Changes To Implement the Patent Law Treaty
- Changes To Implement the Preissuance Submissions by Third Parties Provision of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act
- Revision of Patent Term Adjustment Provisions Relating to Appellate Review
- Request for Comments on a Proposed Track Three Pilot Program With a Pre-Examination Search Option
- Changes To Implement Micro Entity Status for Paying Patent Fees
- Changes To Implement the Preissuance Submissions by Third Parties Provision of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act
- Expansion and Extension of the Patent Application Backlog Reduction Stimulus Plan
- Examination Guidelines for Implementing the First-Inventor-to-File Provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act