With the passage of the America Invents Act (AIA), the USPTO can set or adjust patent fees pursuant to its Section 10 fee setting authority. At the end of October, the USPTO announced fee proposals as a result of its biennial fee review. According to the Office, the fee proposals, which would not take effect until January 2017, are intended to better align fees with costs, allow the Office to continue its efforts to improve patent quality, and promote efficiency of USPTO operations.
