What determines the order in which patents are issued?
The order in which patents are issued is primarily determined by the date the issue fee was paid. According to MPEP 1309:
“All allowed applications ready for printing will be selected by chronological sequence based on the date the issue fee was paid.”
However, certain applications may receive special handling, which could affect the issuance order. The MPEP mentions that special handling will be given to some applications, but it doesn’t provide specific details about these categories in the given excerpt.
It’s important to note that while the issue fee payment date is the primary factor, other requirements must also be met before a patent can be issued, such as the submission of any required drawings or other post-allowance requirements.
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