We previously reported a new rule issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) regarding prioritized examination.  A copy of this blog posting can be found here.  Briefly, this new rule allows an applicant to have a patent application examined more quickly than would otherwise occur by submitting a $4,000 fee and following a number of other formalities.  On April 22, 2011, Director Kappos announced that this program is indefinitely postponed due to funding cuts.  Additional changes have also been specified by Director Kappos and can be found here. We will keep you updated on any progress related to these funding cuts.