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Examiner John R Cottingham

TECH CENTER 2100 · 2 ART UNITS · 151 DECIDED APPLICATIONS · LAST ACTION MAY 2011
ALLOWANCE RATE = SHARE OF DECIDED APPLICATIONS (ALLOWED + ABANDONED); PENDING EXCLUDED
OVERALL ALLOWANCE RATE · POOLED ACROSS 2 ART UNITS

Examiner John R Cottingham has allowed 125 of 151 decided applications (83%) in Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security.

83% pooled allowance · benchmarked per art unit below
DATA UPDATED JUNE 25, 2026
AU 2116 · 89%AU 2167 · 0%
// READING THIS EXAMINER

What the data says.

John R Cottingham holds a public record in Technology Center 2100 (Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security) spanning 2 art units. Across 151 disposed applications, 125 were allowed and 26 were abandoned, yielding an overall allowance rate of 83%. This rate is calculated from decided applications only and does not include any pending matters. The record reflects the examiner's aggregate performance across multiple art units within TC 2100.

// HOW TO READ THESE NUMBERS

How to read these numbers.

This pooled record aggregates dispositions across 2 art units. The 83% allowance rate describes the examiner's past performance on decided applications and reflects aggregate outcomes across different subject areas. Aggregate figures describe historical data only and are not predictions for any specific application. Individual art-unit records, if available separately, may show variation from the pooled rate.

These are aggregate statistics from this examiner's past public record — not predictions about any specific application. The per-art-unit figures below show how the record varies across art units. Our approach to patent prosecution →

// BY ART UNIT

The record, art unit by art unit.

Each section benchmarks this examiner against that art unit's average. Figures are this examiner's own public record within the art unit; the overall rate above pools them.

◈ PRIMARY · ART UNIT 2116
141 APPS · 89% ALLOWANCE

Primarily examines control or regulating systems.

89% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 78%
DISPOSITION125 / 16 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION18.2 moart unit avg 24.1 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY32.4 moart unit avg 37.7 mo
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

Allowance rate for applications with an examiner interview versus without one.

WITH INTERVIEW95%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW88%+7 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 20 decided applications with an interview and 121 without.

ART UNIT 2167
10 APPS · 0% ALLOWANCE · LIMITED DATA

Primarily examines information retrieval and database structures.

0% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 67%
DISPOSITION0 / 10 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION29.5 moart unit avg 24.5 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY51.3 moart unit avg 41.2 mo
// FAQ

Questions about Examiner John R Cottingham

  • What is John R Cottingham's overall allowance rate?
    83%, based on 125 allowed applications out of 151 disposed applications in Technology Center 2100.
  • How many art units does this examiner cover?
    The record spans 2 art units: 2116 and 2167, both within TC 2100.
  • What does the allowance rate include and exclude?
    The 83% rate includes allowed and abandoned applications only. It excludes pending applications and is based on 151 disposed (decided) matters.
  • Does the aggregate rate apply to my application?
    No. The pooled rate describes past outcomes across multiple art units. It is a historical aggregate and is not a prediction for any individual application or art unit.
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METHODOLOGY & DISCLOSURES

Methodology. This page pools every art unit in which Examiner John R Cottingham has a public record within Technology Center 2100. Statistics are computed from publicly available USPTO records, refreshed on a recurring schedule. This page's data was last updated June 25, 2026. The overall allowance rate is total allowed divided by total decided applications (allowed plus abandoned) across all art units — not an average of the per-art-unit rates; pending applications are excluded. Figures are rounded for display. Pooled sample: 151 applications.

Lynch LLP is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Examiner statistics are derived from publicly available USPTO data.

These statistics describe past examiner behavior and do not predict the outcome of any particular application. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Where this page compares an examiner's allowance rate to an art-unit average, that comparison is a factual description of the public record, not a characterization of any individual examiner's conduct or competence.

This page is for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by viewing it. Full disclaimers →

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