ABOUT   
Collage showing the new U S P T O building after construction as well as images of fiscal 2004 U S P T O activities. Image is part of the header for the U S P T O Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year 2004
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Performance and Accountability Report Fiscal Year 2004
Management Discussion and Analysis

Table of Contents |  Management |  Financial |  Supplemental |  Auditor |  IG |  Other

BUDGETARY RESOURCES AND REQUIREMENTS

Total budgetary resources available for spending are primarily comprised of Congressional authority to spend current year fee collections, as well as fees collected in a prior year that were previously temporarily unavailable. Temporarily unavailable fee collections occur when the Congress does not provide appropriation authority for the USPTO to spend all fees collected during a given fiscal year.

The following charts present the source of funds made available to the USPTO, and the use of such funds.

Graph summarizing source of fiscal year 2004 funds.D Graph summarizing status of fiscal year 2004 funds.D

During fiscal year 2004, total budgetary resources available for spending increased 3.5 percent over the amount available in the preceding year. This modest increase continues the slow growth in budgetary resources available for use, as depicted by the graph below.

Graph summarizing annual growth in budgetary resources for the last four fiscal years.D

The slow growth in total budgetary resources available for spending has had, and continues to have, an impact on the USPTO operations which has resulted in slower implementation of the 21st Century Strategic Plan and the PMA, including hampering the USPTO's ability to make critical investments in resources and technology necessary for developing and/or acquiring automated systems to move to a fully electronic operating environment, and improve pendency. The slow growth in total budgetary resources continues to affect the USPTO's ability to keep pace with the growing number of applications.

< Previous Page | Next Page >

Is there a question about what the USPTO can or cannot do that you cannot find an answer for? Send questions about USPTO programs and services to the USPTO Contact Center (UCC). You can suggest USPTO webpages or material you would like featured on this section by E-mail to the webmaster@uspto.gov. While we cannot promise to accommodate all requests, your suggestions will be considered and may lead to other improvements on the website.


.|HOME | SITE INDEX| SEARCH | eBUSINESS | HELP | PRIVACY POLICY