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As the world pivoted to navigate obstacles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the USPTO not only adapted to address the challenges, but appeared to make the most of this period by improving existing procedures. Widely publicized adjustments, such as efficiently moving 13,000 examiners and other employees to a remote working environment
1 and reducing the average examination time
2, overshadow equally laudable advances that have resulted in more robust and streamlined examination, with a seeming aim at achieving improved customer service toward its applicants and stronger international partnerships. This article summarizes five procedural developments that have greatly impacted U.S. prosecution, and in many instances, improved the experience for USPTO customers.
In an unprecedented year, both the Patents and Trademarks organizations worked tirelessly to ensure that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) continued to improve its services for the innovation community.
Top USPTO Developments of 2020—and What to Expect in 2021 ipwatchdog.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ipwatchdog.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Director s Forum: A Blog from USPTO s Leadership
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Advances in searching for prior art
Blog by Andrei Iancu, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO and Drew Hirshfeld, Commissioner for Patents of the USPTO
Patent examination, though inherently complex, is in large part a fact-finding mission with the goal of providing predictable and reliable intellectual property rights. The prior art search is the foundation for achieving this mission.
Our patent examiners’ ability to find the best prior art at the earliest possible time ensures both quality and timeliness, two primary goals of the USPTO’s Strategic Plan. Indeed, the best and most appropriate time to ensure patent quality is during the examination process, before issuance. This is why we have worked tirelessly to improve the search capabilities of our examiners so they can more readily identify patentable subject matter and the appropriate