Patent Lodge

If your client’s invention is focused on, or relates to, achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is in your corner, now more than ever. On June 6, 2023, the USPTO expanded the eligibility requirements of the Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program to apply to a greater breadth of technologies, including those designed to:

• Remove greenhouse gases already present in the atmosphere;
• Reduce and/or prevent additional greenhouse gas emissions; and/or
• Monitor, track, and/or verify greenhouse gas emission reductions.

This expansion also includes an increase in the number of patent applications an inventor is allowed to “make special,” or those qualifying for expedited initial review under the pilot program.

The expanded program is set to run until either June 7, 2027, or the date on which a total of 4,000 grantable petitions are processed (relative to both the existing and expanded programs), whichever occurs earlier. If you have questions you would like to discuss, please let us know.