Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank has announced that regional U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices (USPTO) will be opened in or near Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; and Silicon Valley, California. They will join an office scheduled to open July 13, 2012, in Detroit, Michigan. According to Blank, “These new offices are an historic step toward further advancing our world’s best IP system, and reinforcing the United States as the number one destination for innovation capital, and research and development around the world.”
USPTO Director David Kappos said, “By expanding our operation outside of the Washington metropolitan area for the first time in our agency’s 200-plus year history, we are taking unprecedented steps to recruit a diverse range of talented technical experts, creating new opportunities across the American workforce.” The Detroit office will eventually employ 120 individuals who will help reduce the backlog of patent applications and appeals. No dates have been set for the other office openings. See USPTO Press Release, July 2, 2012.
