The USPTO Takes Steps to Encourage International Green TechnologiesSeptember 7, 2022

Last month, the USPTO announced that they have become a technology partner to WIPO GREEN, a World Intellectual Property Organization partnership aimed at highlighting green technologies. WIPO GREEN was established in 2013 and includes over 2,000 international users and over 130 international public and private companies, offices, organizations, research institutes, and business groups. This program connects, organizes, and features international green technology on an online platform. Through its database, network, and acceleration projects, it connects people to innovate green technology. WIPO GREEN welcomed ten new partners so far this year, including the USPTO.

The Director of the USPTO, Kathi Vidal, hopes that joining this initiative will encourage and help inventors “innovate green technologies and who is producing and selling them.” The Director also notes that this move will help the United States meet climate change goals and help fulfill President Biden’s efforts to support international climate change efforts. Joining WIPO GREEN, the USPTO hopes to continue and expand their current initiative the Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program.

The Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program accelerates patent examination of applications that involve “a product or process that mitigates climate change by a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.” Applications which fall under this category are encouraged to apply and the USPTO will accept petitions to make special under this program until June 5, 2023. The USPTO additionally hopes to create a green technology-focused version of the Patents for Humanity awards competition called, Patents for Humanity: Clean Energy Technologies awards competition. More information will follow when this competition starts and how one would be able to qualify for the award.

Ashley Holland is an intellectual property attorney in the MVS Biotechnology and Chemical Practice Group. To learn more, visit our MVS website, or contact Ashley directly via email.