USPTO Unveils Plans to Improve Operations

According to the March 6, 2005 issue of GovExec.com, the Patent and Trademark Office on Friday announced three initiatives aimed at improving both the speed of its operations and soundness of its decision-making system:

• reexamination requests older than two years will be processed by the end of tghis year
• reexam requests from patent holders will be handled by a panel of three examiners
• fewer details and shorter briefs in appeals