§28 Award of Certificates to Accelerate Certain Matters at the Patent and Trademark Office

Summary

Creates a competition held at least every two years to give eligible groups certificates. An eligible group is one that files the application required under subsection (d) for a patent that addresses a humanitarian issue and meets the Director’s rules. The certificates can be used to speed up one of four things: an ex parte reexamination (including one appeal to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board), a patent application (including one appeal to that Board), an appeal of a twice-rejected or finally rejected claim without speeding the original matter, or another matter the Director names. The Director will run the competition, set application timing and requirements, and promote it through the satellite offices set up under section 1. The competition is treated as the successor to the Patents for Humanity Program (notice titled “Humanitarian Awards Pilot Program”, 77 Fed. Reg. 6544 (February 8, 2012)).