by Dennis Crouch
For decades the USPTO has issued patents each and every Tuesday -- with data being released typically at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time. Today's release wraps up 2024 and almost breaks a record with 7,499 utility patents issued -- the second most ever in any given week. (The #1 spot is held by 7669 utility patents issued on October 3, 2023). The total UTL patents issued has been rising for the past several years but are still below the 2019 high point at over 350,000.
As you look at the chart above, the 2024 patent count numbers are a bit skewed upward because of a calendaring quirk. While most years have 52 Tuesdays, 2024 has 53 Tuesdays. This extra Tuesday means the USPTO has one additional patent issue day compared to a typical year, which represents roughly a 2% increase in opportunities for patent grants over the calendar year.