What occurs if the issue fee is not paid by the deadline?

When the issue fee is not paid by the established deadline, the consequence is that the application is considered abandoned. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) requires the payment of an issue fee after a patent has been allowed but prior to its issuance. If this fee is not submitted within the specified timeframe, the patent application will not proceed to patent grant, effectively causing it to be abandoned.

This abandonment means that the applicant loses the rights to the patent application, and it cannot be revived unless certain conditions are met, such as demonstrating that the failure to pay was unintentional and the request for revival is filed promptly. To maintain an active status for the application and to ensure it's granted, timely payment of the issue fee is crucial.