Green Technology Pilot Program - CLOSED
The Office is no longer accepting Petitions to Make Special Under the Green Technology Pilot Program or requests for reconsideration based solely on a defective original petition. The program will meet its limit based on petitions that were previously filed and are awaiting decision.
The pending petitions will be taken in turn as set forth in the original notice, i.e., in the order that the applications are in condition for examination. The Office will treat any pending petition in an application that is in condition for examination on or before the cut-off date, i.e., the date that the 3,500th application for which a petition is granted was in condition for examination. Pending requests for reconsideration based upon a defective original petition will only be considered if they were filed on or before the cut-off date.
Requests for reconsideration based solely on an erroneous decision may continue to be filed and will be considered.
Under the Green Technology Pilot Program, an applicant was able to have an application advanced out of turn (accorded special status) for examination, for applications pertaining to green technologies including greenhouse gas reduction (applications pertaining to environmental quality, energy conservation, development of renewable energy resources or greenhouse gas emission reduction). The Green Technology Pilot Program was modified several times, including expanding its eligibility to include applications filed on or after December 8, 2009, in addition to applications filed before December 8, 2009, and extending the program until March 30, 2012, or the date that 3,500 applications have been accorded special status under this program. The Green Technology Pilot Program provided for applications pertaining to green technologies, including greenhouse gas reduction, to be advanced out of turn for examination without meeting all of the current requirements of the accelerated examination program (e.g., examination support document) or the Prioritized Examination (Track I) program.
Going forward, applicants may instead use the Prioritized Examination (Track I) program or the accelerated examination program. Both the Track I and accelerated examination programs not only provide advancement of examination, but set a target of reaching final disposition within 12 months from the time advancement is initiated.
Press Releases
- USPTO Issues 500th Patent Through Successful Green Technology Pilot Program (October 05, 2011)
- DOC Blog Post on 350th patent
- USPTO Extends Deadline to Participate in Green Technology Pilot Program by One Year (November 10, 2010)
- USPTO Expands Green Technology Pilot Program to More Inventions
- Department of Commerce Announces Pilot Program for Green Innovations
Federal Register Notices
Sunset of the Patent Application Backlog Reduction Stimulus Plan and a Limited Extension of the Green Technology Pilot Program was signed on December 7, 2011, and published on December 15, 2011, at 76 Fed. Reg. 77979 [PDF].
Expansion and Extension of the Green Technology Pilot Program was signed October 15, 2010, and published on November 10, 2010, at 75 Fed. Reg. 69049 [PDF].
The Elimination of Classification Requirement in the Green Technology Pilot Program notice was signed May 12, 2010, and published on May 21, 2010, at 75 Fed. Reg. 28554 [PDF].
The Pilot Program for Green Technologies Including Greenhouse Gas Reduction notice was signed November 30, 2009, and published on December 8, 2009, at 74 Fed. Reg. 64666 [PDF].
Form
Form PTO/SB/420 titled "Petition to Make Special Under the Green Technology Pilot Program" was used to request participation in the Green Technology Pilot Program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions [PDF] [originally posted December 23, 2009, and last updated May 17, 2011]
Statistics
Green Petition Report Summary [PDF] [updated May 7, 2012; Report date: April 26, 2012]
Contacts
RE: EFS-Web or PAIR system - contact the Patent Electronic Business Center at 866-217-9197.
RE: a specific petition - contact:
| TC | Green Tech Rep | E-mail Address | Phone |
| TC 1600 | Manjunath Rao | manjunath.rao@uspto.gov | (571) 272-0939 |
| TC 1700 | Blaine Copenheaver | blaine.copenheaver@uspto.gov | (571) 272-1156 |
| TC 2100 | Eddie Lee | eddie.lee@uspto.gov | (571) 272-1732 |
| TC 2400 | Beatriz Prieto | beatriz.prieto@uspto.gov | (571) 272-3902 |
| TC 2600 | Doris To | doris.to@uspto.gov | (571) 272-7629 |
| TC 2800 | Lee Young | lee.young@uspto.gov | (571) 272-4549 |
| TC 3600 | Lanna Mai | lanna.mai@uspto.gov | (571) 272-6867 |
| TC 3700 | Tom Denion | thomas.denion@uspto.gov | (571) 272-4859 |
RE: The Green Technology Pilot Program Notice - contact the Office of Patent Legal Administration at 571-272-7701 or e-mail PatentPractice@uspto.gov.
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