Table 1. Summary of Patent Examining Activities



	United States Patent and Trademark Office

Performance and Accountability Report Fiscal Year 2001
Other Accompanying Information > Workload Tables

Summary of Patent Examining Activities as of September 30 of each Fiscal Year for Fiscal Years 1997 through 2001

TABLE 1

SUMMARY OF PATENT EXAMINING ACTIVITIES
(As of September 30 of each fiscal year)

PATENT EXAMINING ACTIVITY

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

Applications filed, total

237,045

256,666

278,268

311,807

344,717

Utility /1, /2

219,486

238,850

259,618

291,653

324,211

Reissue /2

607

582

664

805

956

Plant /2

680

658

759

786

914

Design

16,272

16,576

17,227

18,563

18,636

First actions

Design

15,038

16,836

18,050

17,856

17,748

Utility, Plant, and Reissue

193,635

192,849

226,642

237,421

241,770

PCT/Chapter 1

12,268

13,430

14,316

16,331

17,972

Patent application disposals, total

212,763

220,333

238,292

252,871

257,467

Allowed Patent Applications, total /3

148,802

158,259

171,685

182,888

183,394

Design

13,562

15,214

16,305

16,688

16,526

Utility, Plant, and Reissue

135,240

143,045

155,380

166,200

166,868

Abandoned, total

63,878

61,994

66,493

69,895

74,014

Design

2,511

1,892

2,431

1,839

1,448

Utility, Plant, and Reissue

61,367

60,102

64,062

68,056

72,566

Statutory invention registration disposals, total

114

PCT/Chapter II examinations completed

11,582

12,223

12,886

15,471

18,859

Patents issued /4

122,977

154,579

159,166

182,223

187,822

Utility

111,979

139,298

142,856

164,490

169,576

Reissue

267

284

437

561

504

Plant

400

577

393

453

563

Design

10,331

14,420

15,480

16,719

17,179

Allowed applications, issue fee not paid /5

5,599

6,853

4,000

7,633

6,985

Pendency time of average patent application /6

22.2

23.8

25.0

24.7

Reexamination requests

376

350

385

318

296

Reexamination certificates issued

334

317

243

276

287

PCT search reports prepared

12,048

12,859

14,116

15,896

16,692

PCT international applications received by USPTO as receiving office

22,767

27,138

30,305

36,671

43,322

National requirements received by USPTO as designated/elected office

13,858

17,305

19,941

23,628

26,821

International preliminary examination reports

11,738

12,003

14,615

15,044

17,740

Patents renewed under P.L. 102-204 /7

138,695

135,462

156,414

206,255

205,117

Patents expired under P.L. 102-204 /7

54,485

41,063

52,289

47,958

49,077

1/ Utility patents include chemical, electrical and mechanical applications.
2/ Utility, Plant, and Reissue applications revised from 1996 - 2000 to reflect the latest actual counts in PALM.
3/ Allowed Patent Applications are applications awaiting issuance (i.e., publication) as patents.
4/ Excludes withdrawn numbers.
5/ 35 U.S.C. § 151 (includes design applications).
6/ Average time (in months) between filing and issuance or abandonment of utility, plant, and reissue applications. This average does not include design patents.
7/ 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.