We Must Modernize USPTO's Fee System
Bob Stoll, partner and co-chair of the Intellectual Property Group in Washington, D.C., penned the Law360 article “We Must Modernize USPTO's Fee System.” The article discusses the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which is one of the few government agencies that is fully funded by user fees, and the ongoing devaluation of patents due to recent decisions by the United States Supreme Court and the enactment of new laws.
Bob explains that two factors lead to inequities and injury to the USPTO: a likely reduction in patent filings because of the devaluation of patents and the way some larger filers are employing examination strategies that fail to pay the USPTO for the full efforts required to examine their applications. Bob also offers his solutions for modifying filing charges and adopting a patent fee schedule that stimulates innovation.
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