Last week, the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office proposed a
new
three-track system to expedite filings rather than maintain the
standard first-come, first-served basis. This move comes in response to
the
average review time soaring to nearly 35 months
last year from an average of 27 months as recently as 2003.
This accelerated process marks an important step to defend national innovation leadership and promote economic growth. To see where the U.S. stands internationally, consider the results of last September's report from the World International Patent Organization (WIPO) describing global patent filing trends.
Of course, the overarching story last fall was the fallout from the financial crisis: In 2008, there was zero growth in patent filings at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), compared to 7.1 percent the year before. Similarly, filings through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), a system for recognizing patents internationally, increased by only 2.3 percent, compared to 5.9 percent the previous year.
To read the full, original article click on this link: E-Commerce News: Law: Patently Obvious Innovation
Author: Andrea Belz
