USPTO Launches Data-Driven Quality Initiative to Address Areas of Highest Deviation
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is strengthening its commitment to issuing reliable, durable patent rights with a new, data-driven quality initiative that strategically focuses our resources on examination areas showing the greatest statistical deviation.
Born strong patents begin with consistent examination. Applicants and the public should be confident that similarly situated applications receive comparable treatment and interpretations of patent law, regardless of the examiner. High-level statistics provide an ideal, objective starting point to evaluate examination characteristics and highlight where practices may diverge from established norms. While statistics alone do not determine patent quality, they can efficiently guide attention to the areas with the greatest risk of inconsistency.
Beginning in Fiscal Year 2026, the USPTO is augmenting its existing quality review programs by prioritizing statistically identified, high-deviation areas for strategic reviews. This focused approach will help ensure that quality-enhancing resources are deployed where they will have the most impact—improving consistency across examination, reducing variability in outcomes, and reinforcing confidence in the strength and reliability of issued patents.
This initiative complements the USPTO’s longstanding quality framework, which delivers high-quality examination and detailed metrics to inform continuous improvement. As the Office evaluates outcomes and refines practices, stakeholders can expect updates on progress and next steps.
For more information about USPTO patent initiatives, please visit the USPTO website.
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