How does the USPTO handle discounted maintenance fee payments without proper entity status?

When a maintenance fee payment is submitted at a discounted rate (small or micro entity) without proper documentation of entity status, the USPTO will consider it insufficient. According to MPEP 2531: “If a payment is deemed insufficient because the payment was submitted in a discounted amount but entitlement to the entity status (small or micro)…

Read More

What constitutes “unintentional delay” in paying maintenance fees?

“Unintentional delay” in paying maintenance fees is a crucial concept for reinstating expired patents. According to MPEP 2590: “A person seeking reinstatement of an expired patent should not make a statement that the delay in payment of the maintenance fee was unintentional unless the entire delay was unintentional, including the period from discovery that the…

Read More