Monthly Minute | Design Patents
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) Prioritized Patent Examination Program, known as the Track-1 Program, provides an accelerated patent application examination in exchange for additional filing fees to those...more
In the U.S., patent rights generally go to the first inventor to file — not the first to invent. Filing early secures your place in line. But the type of application you choose (provisional vs. non-provisional) can...more
In January 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) implemented a broad set of fee increases and structural adjustments intended to address rising operational costs and encourage more efficient patent...more
On April 15, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) informed the public that, effective May 13, 2025, the USPTO will be accelerating the process for issuing patents. Currently, the time between Issue...more
Canadian Patent Examination - Significant fee increases will be effective at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (“CIPO”) on October 3, 2022 related to excess claims (claims over 20) and the number of examination...more
Recently, the government of Canada published the final version of the new Patent Rules (SOR/2019-251) in Canada Gazette, Part II on July 10, 2019. The new Rules and associated amendments to the Patent Act will come into force...more