A new report from the congressionally chartered National
Academy of Public Administration has called for
transforming the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office into
a wholly owned government corporation under the policy
direction of the Secretary of Commerce.
The USPTO, a “complex knowledge worker agency,” needs
greater flexibility to respond to technological
advancements and economic fluctuations within the
intellectual property system, the report argues.
“USPTO’s workforce can adapt to this increase in
workload only within the parameters of its funding
levels and the constraints of the U.S. civil service
regulatory framework. These limits have impaired
USPTO’s ability to succeed,” according to NAPA.
It said the agency has had to hire in “fits and starts,”
harming patent quality and prolonging the patent-pending
phase.
