A patent prosecution process carried by a patent office takes a
significant time lasting usually from three to six years. The
period from filing the patent application to patent granting
depends on several factors, for example the work capacity of the
patent office, meeting of the patentability criteria, number of
necessary substantive examinations, and some time limits set forth
by patent laws and regulations.
In certain situations, the necessary regular period to get a
patent granted in some specific jurisdiction does not meet the
expectations of the applicant, namely when the applicant wishes to
have his patent granted as soon as possible in order to quickly
enforce it.
This situation can happen when there is an infringement of the
patent that harms its scope of protection in a certain jurisdiction
or when the technology has a short lifespan and the effects of its
related patent must be used timely.
