CSG Law Alert: USPTO Launches PCT Informed Examination Request (PIER) Pilot Program
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced on April 9, 2026, the launch of a new pilot program that will impact certain U.S. national stage patent applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
Under the PCT Informed Examination Request (PIER) Pilot Program, certain pending national stage applications that have not undergone examination will be selected, and the USPTO will issue a formal requirement for information. The program is scheduled to last for one year and expire on April 9, 2027. To avoid abandonment of the application, applicants will be required to respond by choosing one of the following options:
i. proceed with examination (with the option to place the application in better condition for examination through a preliminary amendment),
ii. delay examination for 12 months, or
iii. expressly abandon the application.
Why the USPTO Is Implementing the PIER Pilot
According to the USPTO, the PIER Pilot Program is intended to evaluate whether requiring applicants to request examination after reviewing PCT international‑phase work products can improve examination efficiency and reduce the Office’s inventory of unexamined national stage applications.
The USPTO has observed that many national stage applications already contain international search reports and written opinions that are directly relevant to U.S. patentability, yet examination traditionally proceeds without a formal confirmation that the applicant wishes to move forward in view of those materials. By requiring some applicants to make an early decision whether to proceed with, delay, or abandon an application, the USPTO believes it can reduce both the backlog of unexamined applications and overall examination pendency by focusing the examining corps’ efforts on applications where applicants have demonstrated a continued interest in prosecution.
Practical Impact for Applicants
The PIER Pilot Program introduces an additional decision point for selected PCT national stage applications, effectively requiring them to take a more active role earlier in the U.S. examination process by considering international search reports and written opinions sooner than they might otherwise have done. While the Pilot program does not change substantive patentability standards, it does impose a new procedural obligation.
If your application is selected for the PIER pilot program and you are considering a response, CSG Law’s Patent Group can assist with your decision.
Alternatively, if you want to avoid this potential obligation, CSG Law’s Patent Group can assist with filing a U.S. continuing application under 35 USC § 111(a) based on the international application (typically called a “bypass” application) as an alternative to a national stage application under 35 USC § 371, as these bypass applications are not subject to the PIER Pilot.