The 21st century strategic plan: USPTO's adjustment to the future

The USPTO's 21st century strategic plan represents a fundamental reappraisal of the tasks, responsibilities, working practices and priorities of the office. It has gone through several versions in seeking the most effective and acceptable way forward. In this article the author reviews the key factors, opinions and changes at each stage of the plan's development, primarily from the patent perspective. In doing so, he refers to patent pendency and related timeliness issues, such as staffing, productivity, and potential outsourcing of search, classification, reclassification and examination functions. Quality initiatives, such as search tool enhancements, review by second examiner and e-government, are also described, as are wider issues affecting the plan, such as fee diversion, government outsourcing, and globalization issues such as trilateral efforts to share workloads. In concluding, the author points out that, although not fully finalised, the strategic plan is now largely agreed in a form that meets the key requirements for quicker processing, better quality and a rapid move towards e-government, within realistic fee increases, without concomitant massive staff increases, and in stages, with each stage being preceded by firm proof of concept procedures.