USPTO Kills Climate Patent Fast-Track Pilot Program Abruptly
Published Date: 4/18/2025
Notice
Summary
The USPTO is officially ending the Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program, which was paused on January 28, 2025. This means no new petitions to speed up climate-related patent reviews will be accepted, and the office will now focus on speeding up all patent applications equally. If you wanted to join the program, you had to apply before the January deadline—no exceptions!
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
No New Climate Petitions After Jan 28, 2025
The USPTO ended the Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program and will not grant any petitions to join the program filed after 5 p.m. ET on January 28, 2025. If you had planned to file a petition to speed up a climate-related patent after that date and time, it will not be accepted.
Timely-Filed Climate Petitions Still Processed
If you filed a climate petition by 5 p.m. ET on January 28, 2025, the USPTO will continue to process that petition and an application that was granted special status will keep that special status until the first Office action on the merits is issued. Your application will be treated according to the program rules set out in the 2022 Notice.
Renewals or Reconsideration After Deadline Denied
A renewed climate petition or a request for reconsideration under 37 CFR 1.181 filed after 5 p.m. ET on January 28, 2025, will not be granted, even if the original petition was filed earlier or was dismissed and you were given a chance to correct it. Late filings on or after that date are untimely and will be denied.
Track One Prioritized Examination Is the Alternative
Patent applicants who want to speed up prosecution can request prioritized examination under 37 CFR 1.102(e) (the Track One Program) by filing a request with the required fees. Qualified small and micro entity applicants are eligible for a 60% or 80% discount, respectively, on the prioritized examination fee.
USPTO Shifts Focus to Reducing Pendency Across All Technologies
The USPTO is reallocating resources to reduce application pendency for all patent applications regardless of technology instead of maintaining a climate-specific expedited program. This change follows the program suspension and formal termination.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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