On 8 April 2026, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) officially launched the PCT Informed Examination Request (PIER) pilot programme. This programme introduces adjustments to the US national phase process for certain PCT patent applications: selected applications will no longer automatically enter the substantive examination queue; applicants must proactively confirm whether to proceed with examination upon receiving notification from the USPTO; applications for which no response is received within the specified timeframe will be deemed abandoned. The USPTO stated that this measure aims to reduce the backlog of pending applications, shorten examination cycles, and improve the quality of examination and the efficiency of resource allocation.

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) is an international patent application system administered by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), operating under a ‘single application, national examination’ model. It is broadly divided into an international phase and a national phase. During the international phase, documents such as the International Search Report, Written Opinion on Patentability and Preliminary Examination Report are issued, providing applicants with a basis for assessing the patent’s value. Applicants then decide whether to proceed to the national phase in countries such as the United States and undergo substantive examination. Historically, the US has automatically placed all PCT national phase applications into the examination queue, with some applications that no longer hold value for further prosecution continuing to occupy examination resources. Consequently, the USPTO considers it necessary to introduce institutional measures to guide applicants in making informed decisions at an early stage based on available information.

This pilot programme applies to PCT applications entering the national phase pursuant to Section 371 of the US Patent Act (35 U.S.C. §371). The USPTO will issue a Notice of Information Requirement to selected applicants, who must, within the specified time limit, choose one of three options: request immediate examination, request a deferral of examination, or explicitly abandon the application; failure to respond by the deadline will result in the application lapsing.