USPTO Prosecution: Office Actions, Appeals & Allowance Strategy
Mastering the US Patent Prosecution Lifecycle
End-to-end USPTO prosecution - from filing to allowance or appeal. Covers responding to §102/§103/§112 rejections, the AFCP 2.0 program, after-final practice, the PTAB appeal process, and continuation strategy.
Companion last updated: June 1, 2026
Key Topics
- Responding to §102 and §103 rejections
- §112(b) indefiniteness rejections
- AFCP 2.0 after-final practice
- PTAB ex parte appeal
- Continuation / CIP / divisional strategy
Updated Figures & Data
The following figures or data from this chapter have been updated since the print edition.
USPTO official fees - filing, search, examination (FY2026)
USPTO fee adjustment effective Jan 2026 - see current fee schedule on the Fees page.
For current official fee schedules, see the Fees page →
Corrections & Clarifications
USPTO fee adjustment effective January 2026
USPTO adjusted its fee schedule effective January 19, 2026, as part of its biennial fee setting cycle. Filing, search, and examination fees increased by approximately 4%. The current fee schedule is on the companion website Fees page. All procedural and strategic guidance in Chapter 10 remains current.
Prompts for This Chapter
Tested AI prompts relevant to the topics covered in Chapter 10. Copy and adapt for your work.
Alice/Mayo Eligibility Analysis (USPTO)
Analyses claims under the Alice/Mayo framework and the USPTO's 2019 Revised Guidance.
USPTO Office Action Response: §103 Obviousness
Drafts structured arguments against a §103 obviousness rejection in a USPTO office action response.
§112(b) Indefiniteness Response
Drafts arguments against a §112(b) indefiniteness rejection.
Continuation Strategy Analyzer
Analyzes whether to file a continuation, CIP, or divisional, and what claims to pursue.