What does a “patent term adjustment” provide for?

A patent term adjustment provides for an extension in the period of exclusivity for a patent due to delays that occur during the prosecution of the patent application by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). When the USPTO fails to meet certain deadlines during the examination process, such as delays that extend beyond the statutory time limits, applicants may qualify for additional time added to the patent's term. This system is designed to compensate inventors for time lost due to administrative delays, ensuring that they can enjoy their exclusive rights to their invention for a longer period.

The other choices do not accurately describe a patent term adjustment. The automatic renewal of a patent after its expiry is not possible under current patent law, as patents do not renew themselves. A reduction in fees is unrelated to the adjustment of a patent's term and pertains to different aspects of filing or maintaining a patent. Lastly, the ability to patent additional aspects of an invention post-filing typically involves filing a new application rather than extending the term of an existing application. Thus, the focus of patent term adjustment purely lies in extending the patent term as a remedy for USPTO delays.