Patent Office Grows … and Slows, According To Report

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has grown in the past 20 years, yet added dollars and staff at the agency charged with managing the patent system has not lessened the time required to receive a patent. In fact, the average pendency has increased substantially, according to attorney Robert Fieseler, writing in the April 2009 issue of Intellectual property today.

The author prescribes a variety of ways in which the Obama administration might remake the ailing U.S. patent system, asserting that rarely have so many stakeholders been so open to bold change. While views differ on how to improve the workings of the patent system, it is undeniable that the waiting line has increased even as the USPTO’s resources have increased.