PTO Extends Expedited Patenting for GHG Reduction Technologies

Dec 3, 2010

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) announced that it will extend a trial program to expedite the processing of patent applications for technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions until December 31, 2011. Under the Green Technology Pilot Program, the first 3,000 applications pertaining to environmental quality, energy conservation, development of renewable energy, or greenhouse gas emission reduction will be advanced out of turn for examination, compressing the normal two-year waiting period for receiving a patent to 49 days.