Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Patent Law Blogs -> Patently Obvious

OR PHONE (866) 635-1838 for Bankruptcy Help, (866) 635-6190 for Divorce,
(866) 635-2689 for Personal Injury or (866) 635-9402 for Criminal Defense

Find a Local Lawyer

Bankruptcy (866) 635-1838
Divorce (866) 635-6190
Personal Injury (866) 635-2689
Criminal Defense (866) 635-9402

Patent Law

: Patently Obvious

How Long Do I Wait for a First Office Action [Updated Data]

By Dennis Crouch, Esq.

ADVERTISEMENTS

Based on the USPTO's most recent numbers on examination, I created an updated table of the average delay until a first office action is mailed from the PTO. These numbers reflect an average for each technology center as it operates today. The 3.7 year delay in Fuel Cell and Battery Technology (TC 1795) means that the applications receiving first office actions from that TC during the past three months were filed 3.7 years ago on average ? taking us back to early 2005. The numbers do not necessarily reflect how long it would take for an application filed today to make it through. (Although it is perhaps one of the better estimates that we have on hand.).

Technology Center	Description	Months	Years
1795	Fuel cells batteries solar	44.8	3.7
1791	Tires, adhesive bonding, glass	43.8	3.7
1797	Separation, purification	43.8	3.7
1610	Pharmaceutical formulations	42.9	3.6
3680-B	Business Methods	42.3	3.5
3620	Electronic Commerce	40.7	3.4
1792	Coating etching cleaning	40.4	3.4
1794	Food stock materials	39.4	3.3
2130	Cryptography security	39.2	3.3
2140	Computer networks	38.8	3.2
2190	Interprocess communications	38.5	3.2
2620	Television and TV Recording	37.2	3.1
1796	Organic chemistry and polymers	35.4	3.0
1793	Metallurgy metal working	34.9	2.9
2610	Digital Communications General	34.8	2.9
1620	Organic chemistry	34.1	2.8
3640	Aeronautics	34.1	2.8
3680-A	Business Methods - Finance	33.9	2.8
3630	Static structures	30.5	2.5
3650	Material handling	29.3	2.4
2110	Computer architecture	29.2	2.4
3610	Surface transportation	29.1	2.4
2120	Miscellaneous computer	28.3	2.4
3780	Package and Article Carriers	26.9	2.2
2160	Database and file management	26.9	2.2
3670	Wells earth boring	26.7	2.2
3680-A	Machine elements	26.7	2.2
1630	Molecular biology	25.9	2.2
1650	Fermentation microbiology	25.6	2.1
2180	Computer architecture	24.9	2.1
3750	Fluid handling and	24.9	2.1
1640	Immunology receptor ligands	24.2	2.0
2811+	Semiconductors and	23.9	2.0
2871+	Liquid crystals optical	23.7	2.0
3730	Medical instruments	23.4	2.0
3710	Amusement	22.9	1.9
2816+	Electronic circuits static	22.6	1.9
3660	Computerized vehicle	22.4	1.9
3770	Respirators Therapeutic	21.9	1.8
2831+	Electronic conductors	21.9	1.8
3760	Body treatment	21.4	1.8
1660	Plants	21.3	1.8
3720	Manufacturing devices	20.4	1.7