{"abstract":"The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) published a final rule in the Federal Register on August 3, 2020, that includes a fee for patent applications that are not filed in the DOCX format, except for design, plant, or provisional applications. The effective date of this new fee was most recently delayed in a final rule published in the Federal Register on December 29, 2022 and was scheduled to become effective on April 3, 2023. Through this final rule, the USPTO is delaying the effective date of this fee until June 30, 2023.","action":"Final rule; delay of effective date and 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/2023/03/27/2023-06289.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"1","title":37}],"citation":"88 FR 18052","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This final rule is effective June 30, 2023. As of March 27, 2023, the effective date of amendatory instruction 2.i. (affecting 37 CFR 1.16(u)), published at 85 FR 46932 on August 3, 2020, and delayed at 86 FR 66192, November 22, 2021, and at 87 FR 80073, December 29, 2022, and as further amended at 88 FR 17147, March 22, 2023, is further delayed until June 30, 2023. The change to 37 CFR 1.16(u) in amendatory instruction 2.i., published at 85 FR 46932 on August 3, 2020, is applicable only to nonprovisional utility applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111 for an original patent on or after June 30, 2023.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No.: PTO-P-2018-0031"],"dockets":[{"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"}],"agency_name":"PTO","documents":[{"comment_count":0,"comment_start_date":"2023-03-27","updated_at":"2023-03-27T12:56:13.462-04:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/PTO-P-2018-0031-0070","allow_late_comments":null,"id":"PTO-P-2018-0031-0070","comment_end_date":null,"regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":19,"id":"PTO-P-2018-0031","title":"Setting and Adjusting Patent Fees during Fiscal Year 2020"}],"document_number":"2023-06289","effective_on":"2023-06-30","end_page":18054,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2023/03/27/2023-06289.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/03/27/2023-06289/setting-and-adjusting-patent-fees-during-fiscal-year-2020","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2023-06289?publication_date=2023-03-27","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2023-03-27/2023-06289/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":3,"page_views":{"count":3860,"last_updated":"2026-10-23 00:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-03-27/pdf/2023-06289.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2023-06289.pdf?1679661936","publication_date":"2023-03-27","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2023/03/27/2023-06289.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-2018-0031-0070","regulation_id_number":"0651-AD31","title":"Setting and Adjusting Patent Fees during Fiscal Year 2020","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2023-03-28T15:00:17Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":18052,"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","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Small businesses"],"type":"Rule","volume":88}