An important event in patent history was announced with little fanfare over the holidays, yet it represents a notable achievement for the intellectual property community.

On December 30, the United States Patent and Trademark Office announced that it had issued its one millionth electronic patent grant, also known as an eGrant. The USPTO described the moment as a major milestone in the agency’s modernization of the patent grant process.

It was not immediately known which individual or organization received the historic patent.

According to the USPTO, the electronic patent grant program provides several key benefits.

Benefits of Electronic Patent Grants

• Faster protection: Inventors receive enforceable patent rights sooner, giving them greater certainty to invest, grow, and compete in the marketplace.
• Operational efficiency: The transition to electronic grants has streamlined publication timelines, helping new and groundbreaking technologies reach the market more quickly.
• A modern USPTO: The electronic grant system reinforces the USPTO’s role as a forward thinking, digital first intellectual property office committed to secure and high quality digital services.
• Benefits for applicants and practitioners: The program offers enhanced security, simplified digital records management, and global compatibility across intellectual property systems. These improvements allow inventors and attorneys to access, share, and act on granted patents immediately, supporting faster enforcement, licensing, and commercialization.