Inventors and small businesses in Long Beach and across the United States have until October 27, 2026, to take advantage of a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office pilot program that accelerates patent examination. The Streamlined Claim Set Pilot Program, which began accepting requests on June 10, 2026, moves qualifying patent applications to the front of the examination queue until a first Office action is issued. However, the program will end on October 27, 2026, or earlier if a Technology Center accepts approximately 200 pilot applications. This deadline creates urgency for applicants with pending applications that meet the program's requirements.
According to the USPTO, the pilot is designed to streamline the patent process by limiting claims, which can lead to faster examination. Since June 10, 2026, the agency has also waived the petition fee for requests filed under the program, removing a financial barrier for inventors. However, the program is not open to new filings; only applications filed before October 27, 2025, are eligible. Additionally, applications that claim priority to another nonprovisional or international application, including national stage applications, are excluded.
To qualify, the application must be an original, non-continuing utility nonprovisional application filed before October 27, 2025. The claims may include no more than one independent claim and ten total claims, and multiple dependent claims are not allowed. The USPTO must not have issued a first Office action on the application. Applicants must submit Form PTO/SB/472 through Patent Center, and the specification, claims, and abstract must meet DOCX format requirements. An applicant may file a preliminary amendment to bring a pending application within the claim limits before submitting the petition.
For businesses and inventors in the Long Beach area, this program could mean the difference between waiting years for patent approval and receiving a first Office action much sooner. Faster examination can help secure investment, bring products to market quicker, and establish stronger intellectual property positions. However, the trade-off is narrower claims, which may reduce the scope of protection. "Many inventors in Livingston County and across Michigan have applications sitting in the examination queue, and this pilot lets some of them move forward without a USPTO petition fee," said J. Baron Lesperance, founder of The Patent Baron, PLLC. "Fewer claims can mean narrower protection, so we walk each client through that before filing."
As the deadline approaches, pending-application owners should assess whether their applications qualify and consider consulting with an intellectual property professional. The Patent Baron, PLLC, an intellectual property firm led by a patent lawyer, is reviewing pending applications for inventors and small businesses that may still qualify before the window closes. With the program set to end in late October, time is of the essence for those seeking to accelerate their patent examination.
