USPTO Launches ‘Patents For Humanity’ Prize Project

The United States Patent and Trademark Office today announced a project it said will award prizes to patent owners for using their patented technology for humanitarian purposes worldwide. The prize? Faster processing of any one of your other patent matters at the USPTO.

The Patents for Humanity pilot project will run for 12 months, and gives prizes to applicants who have “leveraged their patented technology to significantly address public health or quality of life issues faced by an impoverished population,” USPTO said in a release. The prize is to be given special treatment on the processing of other patents they may have pending at the agency.

“By demonstrating how they have contributed a patented technology to advance scientific research on neglected humanitarian issues, organizations will be awarded with a certificate of faster patenting processing in matters before the USPTO,” it said.

The project webpage is here.

“Sweeping revolutions in technology remind us of what the innovative drive and entrepreneurial spirit can do to build a better world,” David Kappos, undersecretary of Commerce for intellectual property and USPTO director, said in the statement.

Judges will be selected from academia for their “expertise in medicine, law, science, engineering, public policy, or a related field—and will evaluate applications in four categories: Medical, Food and Nutrition, Clean Technology, and Information Technology,” USPTO said. Eligible types of technologies “will work to confront global challenges” including such examples as life-saving medical diagnostic equipment, water sterilisation devices, mosquito control, and land mine detection.

According to USPTO, winners will receive an “acceleration certificate” which they can use to “move a “patent re-examination proceeding” to the front of the queue; move a patent appeal case in front of the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (BPAI) to the front of the queue; or accelerate the examination of a patent to ensure a final decision on the application within 12 months.” The certificate will apply to one item in their portfolio, whether or not it is related to the humanitarian program.

Certificate holders will be able to redeem their certificate to accelerate any one matter in their portfolio not related to the subject of the humanitarian program application.