In a time when expediency is necessary to secure the future of a gaming company, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has made available certain options that expedite the examination and process of patent applications. These options allow for final disposition of a patent application within one year, decreasing it from about three years.
One expedited examination option is known as “accelerated examination”, which allows the company to submit a patent application with certain information to facilitate the patent examiner’s review of the application.
Another option is referred to as “prioritized examination” or Track 1. Unlike the accelerated option, this option does not require the applicant to perform additional steps besides the preparation of the patent application. Instead, the PTO requires a prioritized examination fee of $2400 for small entities and $4800 for large entities in addition to the regular application fee.
These options can benefit gaming companies interested in obtaining patents faster for their inventions. Obtaining a patent for a new invention, such as a game or casino-related equipment, can help your company maintain market share by preventing competitors from utilizing the invention.
To learn more about these patent application examination options, read Attorney John Artz’s article in Gaming Legal News. http://www.dickinson-wright.com/bdsfiles/News/8a142cca-8fcb-4cbe-98a4-56c0850e5757/Presentation/NewsAttachment/a3c4551e-cfb9-4bce-a7ba-1ea83eceef70/1.12.12.pdf
