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

Wed Sep 3 18:21:58 UTC 2025

Of course... but I imagine some patentees who use maintenance fee vendors might claim they made an innocent mistake/oversight... but if they have to actively/purposefully change the entity status back to small entity in PatentCrapper, one can't really claim an innocent oversight.

Hence, why I wonder if the USPTO might be purposefully changing to large entity to force one to have to actively change to small... then if small entity is wrongly claimed, the USPTO can levy the significant penalty and even invalidate the patent.

Suzannah K. Sundby<http://www.linkedin.com/in/ssundby/> | Partner
canady + lortz LLP<http://www.canadylortz.com/>
1050 30th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
T: 202.486.8020
F: 202.540.8020
suzannah at canadylortz.com<mailto:suzannah at canadylortz.com>
www.canadylortz.com<http://www.canadylortz.com/>
Confidentiality Notice:  This message is being sent by or on behalf of a lawyer.  It is intended exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed.  This communication may contain information that is proprietary, privileged or confidential, or otherwise legally exempt from disclosure.  If you are not the named addressee, you may not read, print, retain, copy, or disseminate this message or any part.  If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete all copies of the message.

From: Roger Browdy <Roger.Browdy at FisherBroyles.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 3, 2025 2:09 PM
To: For patent practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com>
Cc: Suzannah K. Sundby <suzannah at canadylortz.com>
Subject: RE: Maintenance Fees - Entity Status Changed by USPTO?

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
_____________________________________________
FisherBroyles, LLP
direct: +1 202-277-5198
roger.browdy at fisherbroyles.com<mailto:roger.browdy at fisherbroyles.com>
www.fisherbroyles.com<http://www.fisherbroyles.com/>

The information contained in this e-mail message is only for the personal and confidential use of the intended recipient(s). If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail, and delete the original message.

From: Patentpractice <patentpractice-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto: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<mailto:patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com>
Cc: Suzannah K. Sundby <suzannah at canadylortz.com<mailto: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.

Suzannah K. Sundby<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.linkedin.com_in_ssundby_&d=DwMFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=7yDyUE5lzuruhwIvS68v9eFQKnrJuSrXb1MxDfvR_V8&m=8wFZLFNF4_wLb-PNI6ALwm82yFuMK2gz3L2RESKcBuUxfXHzIFZ0fe1DtRD3HVxE&s=JFys10_4BIgCqV30L_nUUSnym5rCP1KjEcKYVsLJOGc&e=> | Partner
canady + lortz LLP<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.canadylortz.com_&d=DwMFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=7yDyUE5lzuruhwIvS68v9eFQKnrJuSrXb1MxDfvR_V8&m=8wFZLFNF4_wLb-PNI6ALwm82yFuMK2gz3L2RESKcBuUxfXHzIFZ0fe1DtRD3HVxE&s=SCL5Jt-D2aERaiZrQbVc1EFnEYP-3q0lge0m4PWN4FE&e=>
1050 30th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
T: 202.486.8020
F: 202.540.8020
suzannah at canadylortz.com<mailto:suzannah at canadylortz.com>
www.canadylortz.com<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.canadylortz.com_&d=DwMFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=7yDyUE5lzuruhwIvS68v9eFQKnrJuSrXb1MxDfvR_V8&m=8wFZLFNF4_wLb-PNI6ALwm82yFuMK2gz3L2RESKcBuUxfXHzIFZ0fe1DtRD3HVxE&s=SCL5Jt-D2aERaiZrQbVc1EFnEYP-3q0lge0m4PWN4FE&e=>
Confidentiality Notice:  This message is being sent by or on behalf of a lawyer.  It is intended exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed.  This communication may contain information that is proprietary, privileged or confidential, or otherwise legally exempt from disclosure.  If you are not the named addressee, you may not read, print, retain, copy, or disseminate this message or any part.  If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete all copies of the message.

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...

Suzannah K. Sundby<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.linkedin.com_in_ssundby_&d=DwMFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=7yDyUE5lzuruhwIvS68v9eFQKnrJuSrXb1MxDfvR_V8&m=8wFZLFNF4_wLb-PNI6ALwm82yFuMK2gz3L2RESKcBuUxfXHzIFZ0fe1DtRD3HVxE&s=JFys10_4BIgCqV30L_nUUSnym5rCP1KjEcKYVsLJOGc&e=> | Partner
canady + lortz LLP<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.canadylortz.com_&d=DwMFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=7yDyUE5lzuruhwIvS68v9eFQKnrJuSrXb1MxDfvR_V8&m=8wFZLFNF4_wLb-PNI6ALwm82yFuMK2gz3L2RESKcBuUxfXHzIFZ0fe1DtRD3HVxE&s=SCL5Jt-D2aERaiZrQbVc1EFnEYP-3q0lge0m4PWN4FE&e=>
1050 30th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
T: 202.486.8020
F: 202.540.8020
suzannah at canadylortz.com<mailto:suzannah at canadylortz.com>
www.canadylortz.com<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.canadylortz.com_&d=DwMFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=7yDyUE5lzuruhwIvS68v9eFQKnrJuSrXb1MxDfvR_V8&m=8wFZLFNF4_wLb-PNI6ALwm82yFuMK2gz3L2RESKcBuUxfXHzIFZ0fe1DtRD3HVxE&s=SCL5Jt-D2aERaiZrQbVc1EFnEYP-3q0lge0m4PWN4FE&e=>
Confidentiality Notice:  This message is being sent by or on behalf of a lawyer.  It is intended exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed.  This communication may contain information that is proprietary, privileged or confidential, or otherwise legally exempt from disclosure.  If you are not the named addressee, you may not read, print, retain, copy, or disseminate this message or any part.  If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete all copies of the message.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://oppedahl-lists.com/pipermail/patentpractice_oppedahl-lists.com/attachments/20250903/3a033546/attachment.html>