In the event of a general government shutdown on October 1, 2013, the United States Patent and Trademark Office is expected to remain open, using reserve funds to operate as usual for approximately four weeks. Should the USPTO exhaust its reserve funds before a general government shutdown comes to an end, the USPTO would shut down at that time, except for minimum activity to accept new applications and maintain IT infrastructure, etc. The USPTO’s website will provide updates on the situation as it develops. In the meantime, details for an orderly shutdown are available on page 78 of the United States Department of Commerce’s shutdown plan.
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