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Collage showing the new U S P T O building during construction as well as people working in an office. Image is part of the header for the U S P T O Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year 2003
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Performance and Accountability Report Fiscal Year 2003
Management Discussion and Analysis

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

The Patent Organization – What’s Ahead

The USPTO challenges include managing a substantial workload and fully migrating to an electronic environment while reducing pendency and increasing quality. Patents will meet these challenges in the coming year by:

  • Continuing to refine the system planned for October 1, 2004 implementation that will process patent applications electronically, including image capture of all incoming and outgoing paper documents;
  • Recertifying the KSAs of one third of primary examiners;
  • Proceeding with the plan to certify patent examiners before promotion to GS-13;
  • Conducting a transactional customer service survey;
  • Beginning the move to our new consolidated headquarters;
  • Expanding training art units;
  • Developing a program to improve the quality of Technical Support products and services in the Technology Centers;
  • Making all applications published after 18 months electronically available to the public;
  • Hiring additional patent examiners to meet our pendency goals; and
  • Evaluating the pilot search results exchange program with the EPO and Japan Patent Office (JPO).

Patent applicants are concerned that the USPTO does not have full access to the fees applicants pay for their patent applications in the year the fees are collected. The USPTO’s 21st Century Strategic Plan will assist in addressing these challenges and will transform the USPTO into a quality-driven, highly-productive, and cost-effective organization that will promote expansion of business opportunities, stimulate research and development, and expand U.S. businesses globally. Full implementation of the USPTO’s 21st Century Strategic Plan is predicated on the passage of proposed legislation to restructure the patent and trademark fee system. Anything less would fall short of the expectations of Congress, the applicants for, and owners of, patents, the patent bar, and the public at large.

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