The USPTO recently announced the Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program. The program covers non-provisional patent applications related to “technologies that mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions”. Applicants may file a petition to make special for applications meeting the subject matter requirement. This petition to make special will permit the application to be taken out of order, i.e. accessing the express lane of prosecution and avoiding the long wait for first examination. The petition program does not include special requirements or fees. Nonetheless, the program has a sunset provision at 1000 applications. If you have an application pending or soon to be filed with the USPTO in this technology, you should consider filing such a petition promptly.
