The USPTO is proposing a new Prioritized Examination option that would allow an applicant to pay a fee to speed-up examination. The USPTO has set preliminary goals of providing a first Office action on the merits within four months and a final disposition within twelve months of prioritized status being granted.
The purpose of this study is to help establish an estimate of the price that the USPTO should charge applicants to participate in the process. If the fee is too small, then the office could be flooded with requests. If the fee is too large, then it will serve no purpose other than perhaps "cover" for the office in responding to complaints of the backlog.
I appreciate your candid responses. I will publish the results shortly.
In your response, please assume that the PTO will meet the four and twelve month goals mentioned above. Also remember that the current rules already allow for fee-for-service accelerated examination of several types of applications, including those covering inventions that are about to be manufactured and those whose claims are already being infringed at a cost of $130.