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

Wed Sep 3 20:28:27 UTC 2025

Ditto, Ditto.

Done, Done.

I’ve become more and more suspicious of Govt… makes no difference whether liberal or conservative.

Power corrupts absolutely.

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/>
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From: Rick Neifeld <richardneifeld at gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:59 PM
To: For patent practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com>
Cc: Roger Browdy <Roger.Browdy at fisherbroyles.com>; Suzannah K. Sundby <suzannah at canadylortz.com>
Subject: Re: [Patentpractice] Maintenance Fees - Entity Status Changed by USPTO?

1. I require at least a written acknowledgement from a client (or in the case of a client having a local agent, from the local agent) that they are aware of the small entity status requirements and after factual investigation confirm that the patent is still entitled to small entity status.  For direct clients, I normally require a newly signed SE form before making a maintenance fee payment on their behalf.

That does not moot PatentCenter sub slientio having changed entity status, but it puts the factual investigation and conclusions where they should be; with the person having personal knowledge of the facts.

2. I wonder of PatentCenter has implemented some algorithm to automatically remove SE status from all patents owned by an entity if someone pays a MF for one patent owned by that entity at the non SE rate.  Call me slightly paranoid of USPTO actions, ever since the DOCX requirement.

On Wed, Sep 3, 2025 at 2:23 PM Suzannah K. Sundby via Patentpractice <patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com>> wrote:
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<mailto: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<mailto:patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com>>
Cc: Suzannah K. Sundby <suzannah at canadylortz.com<mailto: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>
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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=>
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