Monday, January 04, 2010
Necessity may be the mother of invention, but it is patents that make new businesses a reality in a world of contracts and laws. Patent applications, however, are backing up at the federal office in charge of processing them, thanks to repeated budget cuts by Congress.
An investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in August found that Congress diverted monies intended for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from 1992 through 2004, leaving the agency incapable of keeping pace with the many applications it receives each year. With a backlog of 1.2 million applications, the Patent Office would need six years to get caught up—but that’s only if Congress fully funds it. Early last month, lawmakers stripped another $100 million from the agency’s budget. Patent examiners are leaving the office in droves (about 50 a month), and officials don’t have enough money to hire replacements.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Congress Deals Funding Blow to Patent Office (by John Schmid, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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