Track one patent examination expedites the examination process to 12 months. The cost is high, even for a micro entity at $1K. What is the advantage of a faster exam process from a business standpoint? Are there any other benefits?
As of May 2017, the average total pendency of US utility non-provisional patent applications is roughly 33 months. This average length of a non-provisional application is measured from the filing date of the non-provisional to ultimate disposition of the application, e.g., grant or abandonment, including Requests for Continued Examination (RCE). Excluding RCE’s, the average pendency of a utility non-provisional patent application to final disposal is approximately 25.7 months.
What benefit is there to receiving a patent grant 12 months earlier than the norm?