Intellectual Property: Patent Office Should Strengthen Its Efforts to Address Persistent Examination and Quality Challenges

Excerpt:  “GAO conducted focus groups with nearly 50 patent examiners from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) where they told GAO that they prioritize examination output (i.e., the number of patent applications reviewed) over the quality of the review. The examiners said that the USPTO focuses more on the volume of work completed, which can affect the thoroughness of examinations. This focus on output has persisted since GAO’s review in 2016. Examiners cited a variety of challenges in patent examination, including time pressures, and noted that patent applications have become more complex (see table).”

overview

report (68 pages)

uspto response (13 pages)