The USPTO is continuing its efforts to expedite the handling of
patent applications for environmentally friendly technologies. In
particular, the USPTO recently broadened the scope of technologies
that are entitled to consideration for such expedited handling. If
an applicant's petition under the USPTO's Green
Technologies Expedited Examination Pilot Program (Pilot Program)
was denied prior to May 21, 2010 for having an improper
classification, the recent elimination of the classification
requirement now enables applicants to file a renewed petition until
June 21, 2010, to be given priority relative to newly filed
petitions.
Although the classification elimination greatly broadens the
number of eligible applications, the 3,000-application limit of the
Pilot Program has not been expanded. Therefore, those interested in
the Pilot Program — as well as those applicants whose
petitions were dismissed solely on the basis of an improper
classification — should file
