|  | Initiatives and Announcements | USPTO Opens Permanent Satellite Office in Denver  Acting U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews and Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO Michelle K. Lee, along with several elected officials, participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the permanent location for the USPTO Rocky Mountain Regional Office in Denver. Located in the Byron G. Rogers Federal Building in Denver's central business district, the new office will help the region's entrepreneurs advance cutting-edge ideas to the marketplace, grow their businesses, and more efficiently navigate the world's strongest intellectual property system. Read the press release.
USPTO Seeks Nominations for Patent and Trademark Advisory Committees The USPTO is seeking nominations to fill upcoming vacancies for the Patent Public Advisory Committee and the Trademark Public Advisory Committee. Nominations must be postmarked or electronically transmitted on or before July 25, 2014. The Public Advisory Committees review the policies, goals, performance, budget, and user fees of the patent and trademark operations, respectively, and advise the USPTO director on these matters. Read the press release. USPTO and KIPO Announce KIPO's Expansion of the Cooperative Patent Classification System  The USPTO and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) expanded cooperation in classification activities between both offices. KIPO will increase the number of technical areas in which it will classify its patent documents using the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) system. CPC is a classification system jointly managed by the USPTO and the European Patent Office, which debuted on January 1, 2013. Read the press release.
| Speeches | USPTO Deputy Director Lee's Speech at Stanford University — Speaking Truth to Patents: The Case for a Better Patent System "As innovation generally, and patent-protected innovations more specifically, have become well-known drivers of the nation's economy, what used to be a quiet corner of the law has become quite a busy place. The Supreme Court regularly hears patent cases, and big, general practice law firms now vie to build their patent prosecution and patent litigation practices. And the increased prominence of patents in our society means that there are not only more people at this previously quiet corner, but there are a broader range of stakeholders than ever before." Read the speech by Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO Michelle K. Lee. USPTO Deputy Director Lee's Remarks at Denver Office Opening "Since the days of those first intrepid explorers, the American West has been a source of great energy, vitality, and innovation in our nation's history, a land of bold pioneers and risk-takers. Today they are people like Steve Katsaros, who are making the world a better place by leaps and bounds. Inventors like Steve are the reason we're opening this office here, in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. Our goal is to ensure that current and future inventors like them have access to the resources they need to keep our nation at the cutting-edge of innovation for generations to come." Read the speech by Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO Michelle K. Lee.  USPTO Deputy Director Lee's Speech at BIO Convention — The Benefits of IP in the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industries
"Biotech and pharma are major areas of patenting for the USPTO. For example, in the "Molecular Biology and Microbiology" classification, we've granted more than 31,000 patents since 2009 and about 30,000 in the "Drug, Bio-Affecting and Body Treating Compositions" classification…All of which indicates that an inspiring, can-do spirit is alive and well today in biotech fields such as medicine and medical technology." Read the speech by Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO Michelle K. Lee. | Leadership Blogs | Update on Our Satellite Offices "I feel that these satellite offices are critical to our efforts to support innovation and creativity, help protect and foster American innovation in the global marketplace, help businesses cut through red tape, and create new economic opportunities locally. This is an exciting time, not just for the USPTO, but for the men and women from coast to coast who are building, creating, and marketing America's future. I will continue to keep you informed about major new developments in these offices as they arise." Read the blog by Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO Michelle K. Lee. More Details on Trademark Fee Reductions "Recently, Deputy Director Lee blogged about the status of the USPTO's operating reserves. I want to tell you more about our proposal to reduce total trademark fee collections. The reduction is possible due to efficiencies that have allowed the office to create an operating reserve. The proposed reduction maintains a reserve sufficient to manage operations and address long term investments." Read the blog by Commissioner for Trademarks Deborah Cohn. IT Modernization at the USPTO Drives Productivity and Creates New Jobs  "Information Technology (IT) is fueling our work in an era of escalating demand for patents and trademarks, and to face this challenge, our team is continuously looking for ways to operate more nimbly and deliver services rapidly. This year, we have been working to modernize the systems that support patent and trademark examination and fee processing by using "agile" development. Many successful technology companies use agile, an IT development method which emphasizes user involvement and ongoing feedback. By working to provide our examiners with enhanced examination tools, we are striving to improve the way that examiners work." Read the blog by Chief Information Officer John Owens.
An Update on Sustainable Funding for the USPTO "I'd like to follow up a recent guest blog about our FY 2015 budget by our Chief Financial Officer, Tony Scardino. That blog gave an overview of what the USPTO anticipates collecting in fees in FY 2015, what we plan to spend, our staffing levels, and what we intend to accomplish. It also provided a link to the full congressional budget submission…(T)here is one set of numbers in particular that I think are worth noting and taking some time to discuss in the context of our new fee setting authority granted under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act." Read the blog by Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO Michelle K. Lee. USPTO to Launch a Glossary Pilot Program that Will Support a Better Patent System "When President Obama last year announced a handful of executive actions to build a better patent system, one of those actions focused on improving clarity in patent claims. The president recognized that patents with clearly defined boundaries help others avoid costly and needless litigation down the road. I'm excited to share with you some details on our Glossary Pilot Program. I hope many will take advantage of this opportunity to work with the office and assess the impact of glossaries on patent clarity." Read the blog by Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO Michelle K. Lee. | USPTO in the News |  "U.S. Patent Office's Lee on Abusive Litigation (Video)"
by Cory Johnson, Bloomberg TV
"U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Opens New Satellite Office in Denver, Colorado to Speed up the Patent Process and Create Local Jobs"
by Commerce Blog "U.S. patent office opens in Denver, first location west of Mississippi"
by Thad Moore, Denver Post "Colorado leaders celebrate opening of new patent office in Denver (Slideshow)"
by Heather Draper, Denver Business Journal "Patent and Trademark Office hosts IT career fair for Vets"
by Jake Williams, FedScoop "The Bar Association of the District of Columbia's Quality of Life Committee has selected two legal employers to receive the 17th Annual Constance L. Belfiore Quality of Life Award"
by The Bar Association of the District of Columbia | Important Links | 
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