Patent Commissioner's Performance for FY 2005
The AIPA, Title VI, and Subtitle G, the Patent and Trademark Office Efficiency Act, established the USPTO as an agency of the United States, within DOC, on March 29, 2000. The legislation provides for appointment of a Commissioner for Patents as the Chief Operating Officer for Patents, and a Commissioner for Trademarks as the Chief Operating Officer for Trademarks. It also requires that an annual performance agreement be established between the Commissioners and the Secretary of Commerce. The agreement outlines measurable organizational goals and objectives for the organization. The Commissioners may be rewarded a bonus, based upon an evaluation of their performance as defined in the agreement, of up to 50 percent of their base salary.
The Patent organization goals form the foundation for the annual performance agreement between the Commissioner for Patents and the Secretary of Commerce, as required by the AIPA. The performance agreement outlines measurable organizational goals and objectives for the Patent organization based on the performance goals and measures. These performance measures incorporate the milestones and objectives to achieve the following Patent goals: improve quality of examination, implement e-government initiatives, and achieve the lowest possible pendency. At the time of publication, no determination regarding a performance bonus for the Commissioner of Patents had yet been made.
