The United States Patent and Trademark Office announced a pilot program in which requests for prioritized examination from patent applicants qualifying as micro or small entities will be granted without having to pay fees associated with prioritized examination.
To qualify, the claims in the application must cover a product or process that is used in the prevention and/or treatment of COVID-10 and is subject to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.
The pilot program will last until 500 requests have been accepted, and may be extended or terminated thereafter.
Read the Federal Register notice here.