Patent Attorney and Founder
Hey everyone, I’m JD Houvener, patent attorney and founder here at Bold Patents Law Firm. Let’s talk about what just happened.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced that it will no longer expedite design patent applications. That means inventors who file design patents can’t pay for faster reviews anymore.
Why? In short, too much fraud.
Last year alone, the USPTO saw a massive spike in design filings, over 82,000 pending applications. A big chunk of those turned out to be fraudulent, many coming from overseas. Some even misrepresented their status to get reduced filing fees meant for first-time inventors, known as the micro entity discount.
So the USPTO decided to pull the plug. They’d rather slow things down than keep letting bad actors clog the system. Unfortunately, that means legit inventors, the good ones doing things right, will feel the impact too.
For now, only utility patents can still move forward under expedited review, known as Track One. There’s no longer a fast lane for design patents.
Let’s hope this move helps clean up the backlog so honest inventors see their applications move faster in the long run.
If you’re not sure whether your invention should be filed as a design or utility patent, let’s talk. Visit boldpatents.com and book a free discovery call with our team. Dallas, Reno, or one of our attorneys can help you figure out the right path.
Thanks for tuning in, I’m JD Houvener.
Go big. Go bold.