By Robert Curylo ( March 16, 2018, 12:04 PM EDT) -- Most options for expediting U.S. patent prosecution require the applicant to incur additional expenses. For instance, the Track One program requires payment of additional fees to the U.S. patent office, and even the Patent Prosecution Highway, which lacks any fee requirement, involves the expense of submitting an application to an office of first filing. By contrast, the First Action Interview pilot program ("FAIPP") provides a low-cost alternative that often results in faster consideration of applications. And, unlike other options for expediting prosecution, the FAIPP often provides an opportunity to shape the examiner's opinions early in the examination process, thereby smoothing the path to allowance for certain applications....