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TABLE 1: Summary of Patent Examining Activities

TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF PATENT EXAMINING ACTIVITIES
(As of September 30 of each fiscal year)
PATENT EXAMINING ACTIVITY 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Applications filed, total
278,268 311,807 344,717 353,394 355,418
Utility  1
259,618 291,653 324,211 331,580 331,729
Reissue
 664 805 956 974 938
Plant
 759 786 914 1,134 785
Design
 17,227 18,563 18,636 19,706 21,966
 
Provisional Applications Filed  2
54,727 78,963 86,123 89,537 92,517
 
First actions
Design
 18,050 17,856 17,748 19,029 19,013
Utility, Plant, and Reissue
 226,642 237,421 241,770 275,054 283,111
PCT/Chapter 1
 14,316 16,331 17,972 19,460 23,277
 
Patent application disposals, total
238,292 252,871 257,467 279,297 303,635
 
Allowed patent applications, total
171,685 182,888 183,394 189,191 205,879
Design
 16,305 16,688 16,526 17,377 17,596
Utility, Plant, and Reissue
 155,380 166,200 166,868 171,814 188,283
 
Abandoned, total
66,493 69,895 74,014 90,092 97,745
Design
 2,431 1,839 1,448 1,675 1,569
Utility, Plant, and Reissue
 64,062 68,056 72,566 88,417 96,176
 
Statutory invention registration disposals, total
114 88 59 14 11
 
PCT/Chapter II examinations completed
12,886 15,471 18,859 16,456 21,005
 
Patents issued  3
159,166 182,223 187,822 177,317 189,597
Utility
 142,856 164,490 169,576 160,843 171,500
Reissue
 437 561 504 466 394
Plant
 393 453 563 912 1,178
Design
 15,480 16,719 17,179 15,096 16,525
 
Pendency time of average patent application   4
25.0 25.0 24.7 24.0 26.7
Reexamination certificates issued
 243 276 287 200 193
PCT international applications received by USPTO as receiving office
 30,305 36,671 43,322 42,889 42,969
National requirements received by USPTO as designated/elected office
 19,941 23,628 26,821 29,846 32,753
Patents renewed under Public Law (P.L.) 102-204   5
156,414 206,255 205,117 194,143 253,475
Patents expired under P.L. 102-204   5
52,289 47,958 49,077 53,724 57,770


Notes:

 1/ Utility patents include chemical, electrical and mechanical applications.  

 2/ Provisional applications provided for in P.L. 103-465.  

 3/ Excludes withdrawn numbers.  

 4/ Average time (in months) between filing and issuance or abandonment of utility, plant, and reissue applications. This average does not include design patents.  

 5/ The provisions of P.L. 102-204 regarding the renewal of patents superceded P.L. 96-517 and P.L. 97-247.  

FY 1999 column revised from FY 1999 report.

 



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Last Modified: 10/26/2009 5:53:09 PM