Over the years, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has established various procedures intended to expedite the process of obtaining a patent. One of the more recent programs is the Track One prioritized examination. The PTO advertises, “Need to FAST track your patent? Use Track One!” Under the Track One program, applicants who submit a request and pay an additional filing fee of $4000 (for a large entity) will have their application placed in a prioritized queue for examination.
Track One provides an application with a special status and fewer requirements than previous accelerated examination programs. Under Track One, applicants can expect to receive first action on the merits within 4 months and a final disposition within 12 months of the accelerated status being granted. However, an applicant is not guaranteed to get an allowance – only a final disposition that can be a final rejection. As such, applicants may be paying a lot of money to get nowhere fast.
