Patent Law Updates | New Statutes, Regulations and Rules
June 22, 2010
USPTO Joint Labor-Management Task Force Proposes Changes to Patent Examiner Performance Standards
Changes to Patent Examiner Performance Standards
No. 10-27, 6/16/2010
Management at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) has been working with representatives of the patent examiners union, the Patent Office Professional Association (“POPA”), to better align the performance standards for patent examiners with the USPTO’s goals for increasing quality in patent examination and reducing the backlog of pending patent applications, according to Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO David Kappos.
If adopted, the joint task force’s changes would be the first major revision to the patent examiners’ performance appraisal plan (“PAP”) since 1986.
“The changes identified by the joint task force…
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