Closing of the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Monday, January 19, 2009, and Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Monday, January 19, 2009, and Tuesday, January 20, 2009, are each a “Federal holiday within the District of Columbia.” See MPEP 710.05 and TMEP 308. Thus, any action or fee due on these days will be considered timely if the action is taken, or the fee paid, on the next succeeding business day on which the USPTO is open, that is, Wednesday, January 21, 2009.

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USPTO 2008 Fiscal Year-End Results Demonstrate Commitment to Sustaining High Performance
Patent and Trademark Operations Rose to Highest Performance Levels in Agency’s History

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has released fiscal year-end numbers that demonstrate the agency’s commitment to sustaining high performance in the quality and timely examination of patent and trademark applications. For the first time the USPTO met 100 percent of its Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals. The results are contained in the USPTO’s FY 2008 Performance and Accountability Report, which was released to the public today.

“Our exceptional performance reflects the hard work and dedication of the USPTO management team and most importantly, the more than 9,500 bright, quality-focused and results-driven USPTO employees,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Jon Dudas. “Their perseverance in sustaining high performance for the USPTO will carry the agency into the future and continue to help strengthen the IP system for years to come.”

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USPTO, NIHFF and the Ad Council Launch “Inspiring Invention” PSA Contest
Part of Multi-Year Campaign to Inspire Inventiveness in Kids, Winning Contest Entries Receive Prizes from Sony and Potential National Television Broadcast Exposure

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation (NIHFF) have teamed with the Ad Council to announce the “Inspiring Invention” public service advertising (PSA) development contest to engage a new generation of children in innovation. This contest is part of the Ad Council’s “Inspiring Invention” campaign, sponsored by the USPTO and NIHFF. The contest is open to school groups at the elementary, middle and high school levels nationwide. In addition to prizes including Sony video and audio production software and hardware, the winning entries will be distributed to media outlets throughout the country in spring of 2009.

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Commerce Secretary Gutierrez Names New Members to Patent and Trademark Public Advisory Committees

U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez recently named three new members to the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) and three to the Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC). They will serve three-year terms on the committees, which were created by the 1999 American Inventors Protection Act to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on the management of patent and trademark operations, respectively, including goals, performance, budget and user fees. The committees have nine voting members who are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Secretary of Commerce.

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USPTO Announces Interim Senior Management Reassignments

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has announced two temporary reassignments of responsibilities among its senior management, effective immediately.

With the departure of Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO Margaret J.A. Peterlin from the agency this month, Commissioner for Patents John Doll will now serve as Acting Deputy Under Secretary and Deputy Director, performing the duties and functions of that position.

During this interim period, Deputy Commissioner for Patent Operations Margaret (“Peggy”) Focarino will assume the responsibilities of the Commissioner for Patents.

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