USPTO Patent Prosecution and Examiner Performance Appraisal

Patent examination is a complex and information-intensive process. For researchers and policy analysts studying this process, it is important to have a basic understanding of how patents typically proceed through examination and how the behaviour and incentives facing examiners might influence (or be influenced by) this process. This document provides a simplified overview of the patent examination process and the Performance and Appraisal Plan (PAP) for patent examiners. As the title indicates, this is a primer that provides a researcher-friendly introduction. Additional references are provided throughout the document to direct readers to more authoritative and detailed sources of information on each of the topics covered.