News Announcement: USPTO extends Green Technology Pilot Program

http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/green_tech.jsp

Green Technology Pilot Program
Under the Green Technology Pilot Program, an applicant may have an application advanced out of turn (accorded special status) for examination, for applications pertaining to green technologies including greenhouse gas reduction (applications pertaining to environmental quality, energy conservation, development of renewable energy resources or greenhouse gas emission reduction). Currently, an application pertaining to environmental quality, or energy conservation, development of renewable energy resources or greenhouse gas reduction will not be advanced out of turn for examination unless it meets the requirements of the accelerated examination program. Under the Green Technology Pilot Program, applications pertaining to environmental quality, energy conservation, development of renewable energy, or greenhouse gas emission reduction, will be advanced out of turn for examination without meeting all of the current requirements of the accelerated examination program (e.g., examination support document). The USPTO will accept only the first 3,000 petitions (click here for the number of petitions granted thus far) to make special in new applications, provided that the petitions meet the requirements set forth in the notice published on December 8, 2009, in the Federal Register, as modified by the Federal Register notices published on May 21, 2010, and November 10, 2010 (links to the Federal Register notices are provided below).

The USPTO has expanded the eligibility for the pilot program to include applications filed on or after December 8, 2009, in addition to applications filed before December 8, 2009. The program has also been extended until December 31, 2011.