USPTO Outsources PCT Patent Searching

On September 21, 2005, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that it has awarded contracts to Landon IP, Inc., and IP Data Miner Inc., to participate in a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) search pilot program. This pilot will determine whether searches by commercial entities can maintain the accuracy and quality standards for searches conducted by the USPTO during the patent examination process while remaining cost effective.

The USPTO is also exploring contracting out some of its PCT-related work, on a pilot basis, to other established government intellectual property offices that currently perform PCT-related searches/examinations. This pilot is expected to begin next month.

Information concerning the PCT search pilot contracting program is available at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/comp/proc/pctsearch/pctsearchhom.html.