US Patent and Trademark Office Reports 1st Action Backlog Drops Again

Last month the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced the backlog of patent applications awaiting first office action by examiners dropped below 700,000 in June, and this month it reports the number has dropped further. The backlog is now at 689,226, with 65,334 applications awaiting initial action following a request for continued examination (RCE) at the end of July. The complete report can be viewed on the updated USPTO dashboard.

This is welcome news from the USPTO, which has fallen way behind over the past several years.  Hopefully, we will again see the average time from filing to final disposition or issue reduced to 18 months.