By Donald Zuhn — In an e-mail News Brief distributed last week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reported on the participation to date in its COVID-19 Prioritized Examination Pilot Program. The pilot program, which was implemented last May, allows applicants that qualify for small or micro entity status to request prioritized examination without paying the fees typically associated with such prioritized examination (see “USPTO Announces COVID-19 Prioritized Examination Pilot Program”). In announcing the pilot program, the Office noted that it would endeavor to reach final disposition of applications within six months, provided that applicants respond promptly to Office communications….
