Michelle Lee, deputy director at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, has said the agency aims to improve the nation’s patent system through the use of big data and modern information technology tools.
Lee discussed the agency’s priorities and projects during her opening remarks at the American Intellectual Property Law Association annual meeting.
She noted the USPTO seeks to update IT systems that agency examiners use to review intellectual property applications and to compare best practices with its foreign counterparts through the Patent Quality Initiative.
“This new initiative is built around three core elements: excellence in prosecution products and services; excellence in customer service; and excellence in measurement of quality,” she told her audience.
USPTO has also implemented programs to offer technical training for patent assessors, encourage use of crowdsourcing platforms and provide third parties an opportunity to submit prior innovation, according to Lee.
“Many of our ongoing IT improvements will make your lives easier, from filing a patent or trademark application to managing your fees.”
“We’ll be holding a series of roundtables soon to share our work in this area and seek your input.”
Lee added her office is also committed to supporting U.S. technology developers who aim to compete in the international marketplace.
