Legal Definitions - petition to make special

A petition to make special is a request made to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to speed up the process of reviewing a patent application. This request is made for various reasons, such as:

• The invention is related to a favored area of science, such as cancer research or energy conservation.
• The inventor is sick or elderly and needs the patent to be granted quickly.
• Infringement of the invention is already taking place, and the inventor needs the patent to be granted quickly to protect their rights.

For example, if an inventor has created a new cancer treatment, they may file a petition to make special to expedite the patent process. This is because cancer research is considered a favored area of science, and the inventor may want to get their treatment to market as soon as possible to help patients.

Another example is if an elderly inventor has created a new energy-saving device. They may file a petition to make special because they want to see their invention put to use before they pass away.

Overall, a petition to make special is a way for inventors to speed up the patent process for their inventions, for various reasons.