According to a Wall Street Journal article, a potential new fast track system for expedited examination of patents was proposed by David Kappos. The new system would have three different tracks available to applicants. One track would be the expedited route, allowing applicants to "jump to the front of the line," and would cost extra on top of the normal filing fee. Another track would essentially be a standard speed examination with standard fees, although the average time for an application to be reviewed could be affected (either positively or negatively) by the existence of the other two tracks. The last track would be a slower track with reduced fees and a 30 month wait. Small entities would still pay half of all fees.
Like the majority of Kappos's initiatives (First Action Interview Pilot Program, Project Exchange, etc.) since taking over as Director, this system would have the goal of reducing the backlog at the patent office. Kappos predicts that the standard route would additionally be sped up by some applications moving into the third, slower track. This would be a major change from the existing system and even the proposal demonstrates Kappos' willingness to think "outside the box" and retool the mechanics of how the PTO operates.
From the Wall Street Journal: Possible New Fast Track Patent System
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