Post-Grant Strategy

PTAB institution rates have fallen as the USPTO narrows review. What the shift means for issued patents, licensing leverage and enforcement plans in 2026.

Patent maintenance fees turn an issued patent into a subscription. Three questions decide which patents to keep paying for and which to let lapse.

What to do after a Notice of Allowance: decide on a continuation before the issue fee, audit the grant, plan maintenance fees and enforce with intent.

Patent reissue represents a unique mechanism within U.S. patent law that allows patent owners to correct errors in issued patents that render them "wholly or partly inoperative or invalid." Unlike simple corrections, reissue requires surrendering the original patent and prosecuting an entirely new application before the USPTO, making it a high-stakes procedure that demands careful strategic consideration.

Ex parte reexamination has evolved into a primary strategic tool for patent portfolio management and competitive intelligence in the modern innovation economy. The procedure has experienced a dramatic resurgence, with filing requests more than doubling from 2020 to 2025. Given the universal standing and lower threshold for review, compared to other post-grant proceedings, and the strategic advantages reexamination offers over traditional litigation, it's no wonder the process

There are many statuses a patent application can have at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Pending status indicates that a patent application has been filed for an invention, but no patent rights have been granted. Your application will remain pending until it is granted or abandoned. [1]. Granted patents are approved by the USPTO and provide enforceable patent rights while active. Applications are considered abandoned when the applicant fails to respon

If you’ve filed a patent and want to protect a newer version of the invention, a child patent may be the tool for you.