{"abstract":"The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) sets or adjusts patent fees as authorized by the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (Act or AIA), as amended by the Study of Underrepresented Classes Chasing Engineering and Science Success Act of 2018 (SUCCESS Act). The USPTO is a business-like operation where the demand for patent products and services and the cost of operations are affected by external factors, such as the economy, legislation, court decisions, and increases in the costs of supplies and contract services, as well as internal factors, such as changes in patent examination processes and procedures. The fee adjustments are needed to provide the Office with a sufficient amount of aggregate revenue to recover the aggregate cost of patent operations in future years (based on assumptions and estimates found in the FY 2021 Congressional Justification (FY 2021 Budget)) and to allow the Office to continue progress toward achieving its strategic goals.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE","name":"Commerce Department","id":54,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/commerce-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/54","parent_id":null,"slug":"commerce-department"},{"raw_name":"Patent and Trademark Office","name":"Patent and Trademark Office","id":402,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/patent-and-trademark-office","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/402","parent_id":54,"slug":"patent-and-trademark-office"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2020/08/03/2020-16559.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"1","title":37},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"11","title":37},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"41","title":37},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"42","title":37}],"citation":"85 FR 46932","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This rule is effective on October 2, 2020, except for the amendment to Sec. 1.16(u) in amendatory instruction 2i, which is effective on January 1, 2022. The changes to Sec. 1.18(b)(1) shall apply to those international design applications under the Hague Agreement having a date of international registration on or after October 2, 2020.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. PTO-P-2018-0031"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2020-16559","effective_on":"2020-10-02","end_page":46993,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2020/08/03/2020-16559.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/08/03/2020-16559/setting-and-adjusting-patent-fees-during-fiscal-year-2020","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2020-16559?publication_date=2020-08-03","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2020-08-03/2020-16559/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":62,"page_views":{"count":9233,"last_updated":"2026-10-24 16:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-08-03/pdf/2020-16559.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-16559.pdf?1596199517","publication_date":"2020-08-03","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2020/08/03/2020-16559.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"0651-AD31":{"issue":"202004","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/0651-AD31/setting-and-adjusting-patent-fees-during-fiscal-year-2020","title":"Setting and Adjusting Patent Fees During Fiscal Year 2020","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202004&RIN=0651-AD31&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Economically Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["0651-AD31"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Small Entity Compliance Guide FY2020 Final Rule","document_id":"PTO-P-2018-0031-0066"},{"title":"Table of Patent Fee Adjustments (Final Rule)","document_id":"PTO-P-2018-0031-0065"},{"title":"Regulatory Impact Analysis","document_id":"PTO-P-2018-0031-0064"},{"title":"Table of Patent Fees - Current, Final Patent Fee Schedule, and Unit Cost","document_id":"PTO-P-2018-0031-0063"},{"title":"Final Regulatory Flexibility Act Tables","document_id":"PTO-P-2018-0031-0062"},{"title":"Description of Elasticity Estimates","document_id":"PTO-P-2018-0031-0061"},{"title":"Aggregate Revenue Tables","document_id":"PTO-P-2018-0031-0060"},{"title":"Aggregate Revenue Estimating Methodology","document_id":"PTO-P-2018-0031-0059"},{"title":"Activity Based Information and Patent Fee Unit Expense Methodology","document_id":"PTO-P-2018-0031-0058"},{"title":"Regulatory Impact Analysis July 2019","document_id":"PTO-P-2018-0031-0011"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/0651-AD31/setting-and-adjusting-patent-fees-during-fiscal-year-2020","title":"Setting and Adjusting Patent Fees During Fiscal Year 2020"},"comments_count":0,"agency_id":"PTO","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=PTO-P-2018-0031","supporting_documents_count":19,"docket_id":"PTO-P-2018-0031","document_id":"PTO-P-2018-0031-0057","regulation_id_number":"0651-AD31","title":"Setting and Adjusting Patent Fees during Fiscal Year 2020","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2020-08-05T08:30:07Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":46932,"subtype":null,"title":"Setting and Adjusting Patent Fees During Fiscal Year 2020","toc_doc":"Setting and Adjusting Patent Fees during Fiscal Year 2020","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Biologics","Courts","Freedom of information","Inventions and patents","Lawyers","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Small businesses"],"type":"Rule","volume":85}