Beginning April 18, 2023, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is shifting toward issuing paper waste-reducing electronic patent grants (eGrants) to patent recipients.
The process delivers the official copy of patent grants in an electronic format. The USPTO will provide a bound paper version as a ceremonial copy throughout a limited transition period, then for a nominal fee thereafter.
The eGrant process significantly decreases the USPTO’s printing and mailing needs, potentially reducing patent pendency, and saving the agency nearly $2 million in annual printing and mailing costs. Patent recipients will receive their electronic patent grant in PDF format on the day of issuance.
For more information, visit uspto.gov/electronicgrants.
