[Patentpractice] Maintenance Fees - Entity Status Changed by USPTO?

[Roger Browdy]

Of course, you are well aware that the rules require that you check that small entity still applies each time to pay a maintenance fee, whether the PTO has previously recognized it as a small entity or not.

Roger L. Browdy
Partner
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From: Patentpractice <patentpractice-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com> On Behalf Of Suzannah K. Sundby via Patentpractice
Sent: Wednesday, September 3, 2025 8:41 AM
To: patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com
Cc: Suzannah K. Sundby <suzannah at canadylortz.com>
Subject: Re: [Patentpractice] Maintenance Fees - Entity Status Changed by USPTO?

Which btw if this is what the USPTO is doing... it's a totally sh*tty move as it will require significant bullsh*t paperwork/unbillable time.

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From: Suzannah K. Sundby
Sent: Wednesday, September 3, 2025 8:39 AM
To: patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com>
Subject: Maintenance Fees - Entity Status Changed by USPTO?

The first maintenance fee is due in a patent.  The client asked me to change it to small entity so their vendor can pay the small entity maintenance fee.

I checked my records and PatentCrapper.  The application was filed as small entity and the issue fee was also paid as small entity, and at no time did we change the entity status to Large.

Yet, strangely, PatentCrapper shows the entity status as being Regular Undiscounted.

Has this happened to anyone else?

I wonder if the USPTO has decided to automatically change entity status to large for patentees who are companies (not obviously research institutions) to force one to reassert small entity status when paying maintenance fees... and thereby having grounds for applying the severe penalties for incorrect assertions...

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