The United States Patent Office announced that the After Final Consideration Pilot 2.0 (AFCP2.0), which had been scheduled to expire on December 14, 2013, has been extended through September 30, 2014.  The program is designed to expedite prosecution of patent applications and reduce the necessity of RCE (Request for Continued Examination) filings.  Currently, a majority of patents file an RCE during patent prosecution. The terms of the AFCP 2.0 program, as implemented May 13, 2013, are unchanged.  Contact our office or visit www.uspto.govpatents/init_events/afcp.jsp to learn more about AFCP 2.0.  It can lower both the time and cost of obtaining a U.S. patent.