Office of the Commissioner for Patents
Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Patent Operations
The Deputy Commissioner for Patents Operations provides administrative oversight to nine Patent Technology Centers and coordinates the activities of the examination of applications for patents. Responsible for all patent-examining functions in the Technology Centers and all operational aspects of patent application, initial examination, patent publications, and international applications processing. The Deputy Commissioner for Patents Operations leads more than 6,800 highly skilled scientists and engineers.
This office is comprised of Patent Technology Centers and the Office of Patent Publication.
The Deputy Commissioner for Patents Operations is Andrew Faile.
Office of Patent Examination Policy
The Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy provides staff assistance in establishing patent examination and documentation policy standards for the Commissioner for Patents and is the authority on patent laws, rules, and examining practice and procedure. This office also provides direction on establishment of new rules, practices and procedures; reviews and revises the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. The Associate Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy is the deciding official for petitions on patent matters delegated by the Under Secretary and Director, for ordering Under Secretary and Director ordered re-examinations, for Patent Quality Review appeals to the Commissioner for Patents, for requests for reconsideration of the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences decisions. This office is also responsible for the review of actions by the Patent Quality Review and also provides support, representation, advice and direction on technical matters relating to the International Patent Classification (IPC) System, and other international documentation-related standards.
This office is made up of the Office of Patent Legal Administration, the Office of Petitions and the Office of Patent Cooperation Treaty Legal Administration, the Office of Patent Quality Assurance and the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) Staff.
The Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy is Drew Hirshfeld.
Office of Patent Adminnistration
The Deputy Commissioner for Patent Administration provides representation and direction on strategic outreach and planning for the Commissioner for Patents and acts as a single point of oversight for resources and planning, information management and innovation development. In supervising these areas, the Deputy Commissioner for Patent Administration also guides the USPTO’s operational aspects in patent application initial examination, patent publications, and international Patent Cooperation Treaty applications processing. The Deputy Commissioner also provides direction maintaining and developing automated systems relating to domestic and international patent information technology and oversees the USPTOs efforts to assist independent, small entity and university-affiliated inventors.
This office is comprised of the Office of Patent Resources and Planning, the Office of Patent Information Management and the Office of Innovation Development.
The Deputy Commissioner for Patent Administration is Bruce Kisliuk.
