On the recordFebruary 28, 2011
my amendment provides for the establishment of three regional satellite PTO offices in the next 3 years. The Patent and Trademark Office has struggled to hire and retain over 6,000 examiners at a single location in Alexandria, VA. This has resulted in one-third of patent examiners having been with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for less than 3 years. Ideally, the Patent and Trademark Office would recruit examiners from all across the country, leveraging regional expertise. The PTO recently recognized this weakness in our patent infrastructure by announcing an initial satellite pilot in Detroit, MI. My amendment seeks to support this effort and further connect innovators to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The establishment of satellite offices will help the USPTO to recruit and retain workers from across the country. Regional offices will draw local scientists, engineers, and patent attorneys into the USPTO, which add real-world expertise to the patent review process. Regional satellite offices will also increase outreach activities and connection to patent filers, enhance the ability of the USPTO to recruit and retain patent examiners, and improve the quality and pendency for patent applications. Europe currently uses four patent offices as a recruitment tool and is known for the ability to attract and retain highly qualified examiners. In short, the limitations of our lone patent office are placing our economy at a competitive disadvantage.
