Trouble at the USPTO—Part I: Why Government Cutbacks Are Making Everyone Nervous

Director and Patent Prosecution Practice co-chair, Bonnie Nannenga-Combs, recently spoke to World Intellectual Property Review to discuss the potential impact of return-to-work orders, redundancies, and hiring freezes at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Regarding return-to-office orders, Nannenga-Combs notes that “Any return-to-office related attrition may result in a loss of talent, delays in workflow, and/or service disruptions at the USPTO.”

She also discussed the potential impact of delays in patent processing, which could increase use of the Track One prioritized examination program. “Although it comes at a cost, I have found that the Track One program is an effective way to quickly initiate substantive examination of high-priority applications,” she explains. However, she notes that some life sciences companies with slower product development cycles might actually welcome extended timelines as they can help delay prosecution costs.

Part II of Trouble at the USPTO will dig into how in-house and private practice counsel can adapt to the challenges, and what should be top of mind amidst uncertain times. This article first appeared on Life Sciences IP Review.