TABLE 1: Summary of Patent Examining Activities

 (As of September 30 of each fiscal year)

PATENT EXAMINING ACTIVITY	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Applications filed, total   1	344,717	353,394	355,418	378,984	409,532
Utility   2	324,211	331,580	331,729	353,319	381,797
Reissue	956	974	938	996	1,143
Plant	914	1,134	785	1,212	1,288
Design	18,636	19,706	21,966	23,457	25,304
Provisional Applications Filed   1 ,   3	86,123	89,537	92,517	102,268	111,753
First actions
Design	17,748	19,029	19,013	17,328	20,108
Utility, Plant, and Reissue	241,770	275,054	283,111	288,315	297,287
PCT/Chapter	17,972	19,460	23,277	17,935	22,795
Patent application disposals, total	257,467	279,297	303,635	304,921	298,838
Allowed patent applications, total	183,394	189,191	205,879	195,611	182,254
Design	16,526	17,377	17,596	16,262	18,161
Utility, Plant, and Reissue	166,868	171,814	188,283	179,349	164,093
Abandoned, total	74,014	90,092	97,745	109,295	116,564
Design	1,448	1,675	1,569	1,471	1,332
Utility, Plant, and Reissue	72,566	88,417	96,176	107,824	115,232
Statutory invention registration disposals, total	59	14	11	15	20
PCT/Chapter II examinations completed	18,859	16,456	21,005	19,439	12,594
Applications Published   4	25,359	169,729	243,007	248,561	291,221
Patents issued    5	187,822	177,317	189,597	187,170	165,485
Utility	169,576	160,843	171,500	169,296	151,079
Reissue	504	466	394	343	195
Plant	563	912	1,178	998	816
Design	17,179	15,096	16,525	16,533	13,395
Pendency time of average patent application    6	24.7	24.0	26.7	27.6	29.1
Reexamination certificates issued	287	200	193	138	223
PCT international applications received by USPTO as receiving office	43,322	42,889	42,969	45,396	46,926
National requirements received by USPTO as designated/elected office	26,821	29,846	32,753	37,173	39,385
Patents renewed under Public Law (P.L.) 102-204    7 (Preliminary)	205,117	194,143	253,475	269,815	268,935
Patents expired under P.L. 102-204    7 (Preliminary)	49,077	53,724	57,770	63,552	67,534

Notes:

 1: FY 2004 data has been updated with final end of year numbers.  (back to text) 

 2: Utility patents include chemical, electrical and mechanical applications.  (back to text) 

 3: Provisional applications provided for in P.L. 103-465.  (back to text) 

 4: Eighteen-month publication of patent applications provided for in the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999, P.L. 106-113.  (back to text) 

 5: Excludes withdrawn numbers.  (back to text) 

 6: Average time (in months) between filing and issuance or abandonment of utility, plant, and reissue applications. This average does not include design patents.  (back to text) 

 7: The provisions of P.L. 102-204 regarding the renewal of patents superceded P.L. 96-517 and P.L. 97-247.  (back to text)