What is the Patent Application Locating and Monitoring (PALM) system used for in patent term adjustment?
This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.
The Patent Application Locating and Monitoring (PALM) system is a crucial tool used by the USPTO in determining patent term adjustment (PTA). As stated in MPEP 2733:
“The Office makes the patent term adjustment determination by a computer program that uses the information recorded in the Office’s Patent Application Locating and Monitoring (PALM) system.”
The PALM system serves several important functions in PTA calculation:
- Tracks key dates and events throughout the patent application process
- Records USPTO actions and applicant responses
- Calculates delays attributable to the USPTO and the applicant
- Provides data for the automated PTA calculation
By utilizing the PALM system, the USPTO can efficiently and accurately determine the appropriate patent term adjustment for each application.