Patent Law Practice Center

USPTO to Hold Roundtable Discussions on RCE Practice

By: Gene Quinn (IPWatchdog.com)

As you may be aware, there is a growing number of unexamined Requests for Continued Examination (RCEs) clogging the Patent Office docket. In fact, as of the end of Fiscal Year 2012, there were 95,200 RCEs that were awaiting examiner consideration, which is almost double the 48,680 that were awaiting examiner action at the start of Fiscal Year 2011.

The USPTO is concerned about the RCE backlog and the agency, in collaboration with the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC), will host a series of public roundtables to solicit stakeholder input on ways the agency can reduce the number of Request for Continued Examination (RCE) filings.
The initiative is part of the USPTO’s effort to reduce patent application pendency. In order to accomplish this, the USPTO is seeking to better understand the root causes for filing RCEs and plans to use the information gathered during the public events to design additional programs and initiatives aimed at reducing RCE filings and backlog. (more…)