On May 8, 2020, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a new COVID-19 Prioritized Examination Pilot Program. The USPTO will grant requests for prioritized examination to applicants that qualify for small or micro entity status without payment of the typical fees associated with other prioritized examination.

In addition, the USPTO will endeavor to reach final disposition of applications in this program within six months if applicants respond promptly to communications from the USPTO.