The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has announced that, effective May 13, 2025, it will implement a measure to shorten the time required for patent issuance.

Until now, the period between the Issue Notification and the Issue Date has averaged about three weeks. Going forward, this period will be reduced to approximately two weeks.

As a result, patent holders will not only be able to obtain legal protection for their inventions more quickly, but the shorter waiting period between the Issue Notification and the Issue Date is also expected to reduce the likelihood of needing to use the Quick Path Information Disclosure Statement (QPIDS) procedure.
Note: The obligation to submit an Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) continues until a patent is granted. If an IDS should be submitted after payment of the issue fee but before issuance, the applicant must proceed via QPIDS or submit an IDS together with a Request for Continued Examination (RCE).

In addition, applicants who wish to file a continuation application must do so before paying the issue fee in order to maintain copendency, in accordance with Section 211.01(b), Part I of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP).

For further information, please visit the USPTO website.