HBCU added as resource center: Three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been designated as Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRCs) in 2023, with the USPTO planning to add more centers. The three libraries are the John B. Cade Library at Southern University and A&M, the John B. Coleman Library at Prairie View A&M, and the Miller F. Huey Library at South Carolina State University. Turk Library. Howard University Founders Library was designated a PTRC in 1986.
The PTRC is part of a national network of public, state, and academic libraries designated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to provide trademark and patent assistance to the public.
The pilot period is extended: The expedited review pilot program for first-time filers has been extended. The expanded pilot program will run from March 11, 2024, until March 11, 2025, or the date the USPTO approves a total of 1,000 applications since the start of the pilot program, whichever comes first.
The program allows eligible first-time applicants to have their patent applications reviewed out of sequence and reviewed early (also known as “eligible for special status”). Eligible applications will receive rapid preliminary written feedback from the patent examiner, known as a “First Office Action.”