The latest U.S. Government shutdown — which took effect today — certainly has far reaching consequences that will impact many. One aspect of particular interest to our clients is the effect of the shutdown on the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO).
According to the USPTO’s website, it will be business as usual for approximately four weeks. The USPTO will rely on reserve fee collections from last year to fund its operation for the next four weeks. After that, the USPTO will reassess whether it will be able to continue operating at full capacity. The website states that in the event reserve fees run dry the USPTO would shut down except “a very small staff would continue to work to accept new applications and maintain IT infrastructure, among other functions.”
If you have any questions about the effect of the U.S. Government shutdown on the USPTO, please do not hesitate to contact us.
