Patent Prosecution Services
Patent prosecution refers to the process of interacting with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) after a patent application has been filed. It does not include the initial stage of drafting and filing the application. Instead, prosecution covers all subsequent steps required to advance the application toward allowance and issuance.
Because each prosecution stage varies in complexity, the fees for handling office actions and related matters are assessed separately. These fees depend on the type and nature of the USPTO communication and will be clearly outlined in our engagement letter.
Common USPTO office actions and prosecution steps include:
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Restriction Requirements – examiner requires the application to be limited to one invention or group of claims.
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Non-Final Office Actions – initial rejections or objections to claims, drawings, or specification.
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Final Office Actions – subsequent rejections after amendments or arguments have been considered.
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Ex Parte Quayle Actions – formal objections to minor issues (e.g., drawings or formatting) that must be corrected before allowance.
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Advisory Actions – responses issued after amendments are filed in reply to a final rejection.
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Notices of Allowance – communications indicating that the claims are allowable and the application is in condition for issuance.
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Requests for Continued Examination (RCEs) – reopening prosecution after a final rejection.
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Appeals to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) – when claim rejections cannot be resolved through examiner interaction.
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Reissue and Reexamination Proceedings – post-grant procedures to correct errors or challenge issued patents.
⚠️ Important Notice: Patent 360 LLC is not responsible for paying the USPTO maintenance fees or for formally notifying you when these fees are due. While we will make every effort to remind you, the responsibility to ensure timely payment of maintenance fees ultimately rests with you as the client. To avoid missed deadlines and possible loss of patent rights, it is critical that you promptly update us with your current contact information after receiving a patent grant.
Throughout prosecution, our team and our USPTO-registered patent practitioner work closely with inventors to ensure responses are timely, strategic, and aligned with your overall patent goals
Maintenance Fee Disclaimer
Patent 360 LLC is not responsible for paying USPTO maintenance fees or for guaranteeing notice of such deadlines. While we will make reasonable efforts to provide reminders, the responsibility to ensure timely payment of all maintenance fees rests solely with the client. Clients must keep Patent 360 LLC informed of any changes to their contact information.
Disclaimer: Patent360 LLC is not a law firm and does not provide legal services under state law. Our services are limited exclusively to patent preparation and prosecution before the USPTO by a registered patent practitioner. For trademark, copyright, or other legal matters, we refer clients to appropriately licensed independent attorneys.
