Definition
A notice of allowance is the USPTO communication informing an applicant that the claims have been allowed and the patent will issue after payment of the issue fee.
Why It Matters Legally
Receiving a notice of allowance signals the application has cleared examination, but rights are not secured until the issue fee is paid by the deadline. Missing that deadline can cause the application to go abandoned.
Example Use Case
After amending its claims, a company receives a notice of allowance, pays the issue fee, and the patent grants weeks later.
Have a question about this?
Talk to a patent attorney about your situation. Start your free consult