Wall Street Journal Article.  Written By: Angus Loten

As part of a broader effort to spur homegrown innovation, the Commerce Department this week announced a move to fast-track the patent process by allowing entrepreneurs to expedite U.S. reviews by paying a hefty fee.

Yet some in the patent industry fear the initiative might do more harm than good by giving money-rich companies an edge over start-ups in the race for a patent, while doing little to reduce an already growing backlog of applications that is causing delays in product development and expansion plans.

Until now, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office largely has processed patents on a first-come, first-serve basis for a base fee of $1,090.

Last year, the office granted more than 244,358 patents, up 27% from 2009. The process takes an average of 35 months to complete, and often includes costly legal fees—patent lawyers typically charge more than $25,000, depending on the complexity of the application.      Read More

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