What can an applicant do if they miss the EFS deadline?

The correct response is to use USPS's Priority Mail Express for submitting an application. This option is viable because Priority Mail Express is recognized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as a method that can meet the timely filing requirements, provided it is sent before the deadline and received by the office in a timely manner.

The importance of this option lies in the reliability and speed of Priority Mail Express, which ensures that the application arrives at the USPTO by the established deadline, safeguarding the applicant's rights. This is particularly crucial in patent law, where timing can be critical to maintaining priority over an invention.

In contrast, the other choices, such as filing a late application, are not feasible for meeting the EFS deadline. The USPTO does not typically allow applications to be filed late without specific circumstances justifying such a request, which leads to your inability to depend on it as a straightforward solution. While regular mail with a delayed penalty might imply there would be some flexibility, the USPTO does not offer grace periods for applications received past the deadline. As for a request for an extension, while this may be permissible under certain conditions, it is generally not an option for EFS deadlines. Therefore, USPS's Priority Mail Express remains the most