The US Patent Office ends its fast-track program for new inventions

The US Patent and Trademark Office is ending its "Accelerated Examination" program for utility patents. This means inventors can no longer pay extra to have their patent applications reviewed faster.

For years, inventors could pay a fee to get their patent applications reviewed more quickly, which helped them bring new products to market sooner. Now, that option is gone, which could slow down the pace of innovation for some companies. The Patent Office says it has a different, statutory program for prioritized examination, but it is not clear if that program will fully replace the speed benefits of the discontinued one.