Month: September 2024

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After a ten-year run, AFCP comes to a close

There has always been a problem that some Examiners fish for unnecessary continuations and RCEs.  If an applicant can be teased into filing a continuation or an RCE, the Examiner picks up two more “counts”.

One of the USPTO’s initiatives to try to reduce this problem happened in 2013 — the After Final Consideration Program (AFCP).  Now after a ten-year run, the USPTO has announced (Federal Register notice) that it will discontinue AFCP.

During the ten years that AFCP was available, our firm used it many dozens of times.  I estimate that in perhaps 25% of cases, it did save us from having to file an otherwise unnecessary continuation or RCE.  Now with the AFCP initiative gone, we will surely face renewed levels of fishing for continuations and RCEs by some Examiners.

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Does your bank participate in FedNow?

FedNowFedNow (Wikipedia article) is an instant payment service developed by the Federal Reserve for depository institutions in the United States, which allows individuals and businesses to send and receive money.  FedNow is intended to be faster and less expensive than other traditional ways that banks in the US send money to each other.  FedNow is instant, which is better than the delays of hours or even days for ACH and bank wire transactions.  Bank customers, including businesses and individuals, can benefit greatly from FedNow.  Does your financial institution participate in FedNow?  Continue reading “Does your bank participate in FedNow?”