Posted in: S&H IP Blog | USPTO News
USPTO Year in Review – 2020 Patent Trends
In February 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark office (“USPTO”) released its annual Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year 2020. Overall, the report showed a slight decrease in U.S. patent application filings in fiscal year 2020 but an increase in patent issuances across utility, design, and plant applications compared to fiscal year 2019. Additionally, the USPTO is now offering final decisions faster, with an average time of 23.3 months compared to 23.8 months in 2019. The USPTO maintained their goal of 14.8 months for average first action pendency.*
Patent Filings
| 2019 | 2020 | ∆% | |
| Utility | 619,017 | 603,764 | -0.98 |
| Reissue | 1,096 | 1,064 | -.097 |
| Plant | 1,159 | 1,044 | -0.90 |
| Design | 45,571 | 47,439 | 0.96 |
Patent Issuances
| 2019 | 2020 | ∆% | |
| Utility | 336,846 | 360,784 | 0.93 |
| Reissue | 554 | 608 | 0.91 |
| Plant | 1,193 | 1,350 | 0.88 |
| Design | 31,846 | 36,313 | 0.88 |
| Total | 370,423 | 399,055 | 0.93 |
| UPR Pendency Statistics by Technology Center (in months) | Average First Action Pendency | Total Average Pendency |
| Tech Center 1600—Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry | 13.3 | 22.6 |
| Tech Center 1700—Chemical and Materials Engineering | 16.8 | 26.9 |
| Tech Center 2100—Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security | 16.0 | 26.5 |
| Tech Center 2400—Networks, Multiplexing, Cable, and Security | 12.9 | 23.1 |
| Tech Center 2600—Communications | 11.4 | 19.2 |
| Tech Center 2800—Semiconductor, Electrical, Optical Systems, and Components | 13.1 | 21.1 |
| Tech Center 3600—Transportation, Construction, Agriculture, and Electronic Commerce | 16.7 | 26.4 |
| Tech Center 3700—Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products | 17.7 | 28.0 |
| Total Utility, Plant, and Reissue Pendency | 14.8 | 23.3 |
*All data comes from USPTO’s 2019 and 2020 Performance and Accountability Report, available at https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/performance-and-planning/uspto-annual-reports