In a Federal Register Notice
issued March 5, 2014, the USPTO announced interim rules under the
Track I prioritized examination program that ease the formal
requirements for obtaining Track I prioritized examination of a new
application. The eased requirements apply to all Track I requests
filed since September 16, 2012 (even if previously rejected) as
long as a first Office Action has not yet been mailed. (Applicants
with a rejected request that would be accepted under the interim
rules will need to file a request for reconsideration.)
Track I Prioritized Examination
The Track I prioritized examination program offers fee-based
expedited examination for new applications and RCEs. (The current
Track I fee for a large entity is $4000, plus a processing fee.)
The basic goal of the Track I program is to provide a "final
disposition" (allowance, final Office Action, appeal, RCE or
abandonment) within twelve months of the
Track I request for prioritized examination being
