USPTO Extends Deadlines Under CARES Act to June 1, 2020

The USPTO has announced that, in accordance with the CARES Act, it is further extending the deadlines to file certain patent-related documents or fees to June 1, 2020.

This supersedes the previous notices we recently wrote about and extends the window, which otherwise would have been between March 27 and May 31, to June 1, 2020. The filing must be accompanied by a statement that the delay in filing or payment was due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Read the full USPTO notice here.

As we previously discussed, the main benefit here is that companies are able to defer costs into the future. For assignees dealing with budget constraints, the extension allows time to reassess their finances and their patent priorities.

For firms, the extensions will likely lead to lower revenues now, but expect a glut of work once the deadline is passed and again later when filings submitted in June result in new office actions.

We know you’ve got a lot on your plate right now, and we’re here to help. Juristat clients with private PAIR integration can request an analysis of their eligible applications and anticipated costs savings from our client success team by filing out the form below. If you are a client without PAIR integration, we can help you get it set up and deliver an analysis in time for you to take advantage of the extension. And heck, even if you are not yet a Juristat client, go ahead and fill out the form and we'll see how we can help.