{"id":1407,"date":"2010-08-03T07:00:12","date_gmt":"2010-08-03T15:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.formtek.com\/blog\/?p=1407"},"modified":"2010-08-03T07:00:12","modified_gmt":"2010-08-03T15:00:12","slug":"us-patent-offices-plan-to-address-huge-backlog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/formtek.com\/blog\/us-patent-offices-plan-to-address-huge-backlog\/","title":{"rendered":"US Patent Office's Plan to Address Huge Backlog"},"content":{"rendered":"

The average time that a patent approved in 2009 was under review was 35 months — that’s almost three years. \u00a0There are currently 750,000 patents in backlog. \u00a0The long length of time to be approved, frequent complaints that patents are being granted on ideas that are obvious<\/a>,\u00a0and complaints about the long waits for patent processing\u00a0have led some to say that the system is broke. \u00a0But how to fix it? \u00a0Everyone agrees that the Patent Office is underfunded and staff examiners are underpaid. \u00a0And because of that, the Office lacks sufficient expertise across a range of technologies that are complex and rapidly changing. \u00a0Some of those areas include software, nanotechnology, biotechnology, and genetics.<\/p>\n

Without more funding anywhere on the horizon, David Kappos<\/a>, director of the US Patent Office, has tried to come up with a new idea: a three-track approach to patent applications.<\/p>\n

The three tracks towards patent examination are as follows:<\/p>\n

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