ADVERTISEMENTS

On Monday, David Kappos announced President Obama?s FY 2011 budget request for the USPTO of just over $2.3 billion. According to the USPTO announcement (available HERE), this budget request will support a new five-year plan to achieve certain USPTO objectives, including reducing pendency periods and the current patent application backlog, improving patent quality, enhancing IP protection and enforcement, global IP policy leadership, and a boost in its IT infrastructure. Kappos, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director USPTO, stated that "[i]ntellectual property is America?s competitive advantage in the 21st Century global economy and will play a central role in our long-term economic growth," and that "[w]e will continue to take steps to make the USPTO more efficient, and drive to reduce the unacceptably long pendency periods that hinder the creation of new businesses and new jobs." An interim increase for certain patent fees is also contemplated, which will raise an additional fee amount of $224 million above the projected almost $2.1 billion in fee collections during FY 2001.

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.