Official Gazette notice, 'Relief Available to Patent and Trademark Applicants, Patentees and Trademark Owners Affected by the Coronavirus Outbreak'

The record

Jurisdiction

United States Patent and Trademark Office (nationwide)

Level

Federal

Authority

37 C.F.R. 1.183; 37 C.F.R. 2.146; 35 U.S.C. 41(a)(7)

Issued

2020-03-16 Mar. 16, 2020

Effective

2020-03-16

End

Continuing (fee waivers for COVID-caused abandonments; later notices extended the petition-to-revive relief) (read as 2021-09-30)

In force

Mar. 16, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021

Quarters

2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3

2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3

Limitation types

Courts and public officesOther

Addressees

• patent and trademark applicants, patentees, reexamination parties and trademark owners
• practitioners

Functions reached

• CT agencies (prosecution deadlines)
• CS client representation (patent and trademark practice)
• PJ product launches and licensing dependent on prosecution
• CB inventors, small businesses and brand owners

Collection

Federal lands, science agencies and courts AGY-FED-LANDS-SCIENCE-COURTS

Operative words

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) considers the effects of the Coronavirus outbreak that began in approximately January 2020 to be an 'extraordinary situation' within the meaning of 37 CFR 1.183 and 37 CFR 2.146 for affected patent and trademark applicants, patentees, reexamination parties, and trademark owners.... For patent applicants or patent owners who were unable to timely reply to an Office communication due to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, which resulted in the application being held abandoned or the reexamination prosecution terminated or limited, the USPTO will waive the petition fee in 37 CFR 1.17(m) when the patent applicant or patent owner files the reply with a petition under 37 CFR 1.137(a).

Enforcement

Notes