Top U.S. intellectual property official vows to clear patent backlog

MedCity News (Lee) - A top Commerce Department official Tuesday vowed to unclog the country’s beleaguered patent office, linking efforts to clear hundreds of thousands of patent applications to creating jobs and reducing America’s trade deficit.

In an interview with MedCity News, David Kappos, Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property who directs the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), said the Obama administration hopes to add more than 2,200 patent examiners over the next three years and overhaul the office’s aging computer systems.

To speed the process, Kappos plans to hire an ombudsman to mediate disputes between companies and examiners, although the official will not have the power to overrule the office. He also said the USPTO will recruit examiners with experience in intellectual property law instead of college graduates with science and technology backgrounds. The office will also double the length of provisional patents to 24 months from 12 months .Hat Tip: Innovation Daily