The USPTO officially opened a Rocky Mountain Regional Office in Denver, Colorado last month. This is the Patent Office’s first operations base beyond the Eastern Time zone since its over 200 year existence. The idea behind the satellite office is to make intellectual property services more accessible to inventors and entrepreneurs in the Western part of the country, which satisfies an objective of the America Invents Act (AIA). Applicants and their attorneys need only travel to Denver for examiner interviews. Now the USPTO can also recruit from further regional pools of talent. The office hopes to eventually employ 130 patent examiners, judges, and outreach officials. The hope is that an increase in local examiners will reduce nationwide patent pendency and increase the USPTO’s overall national presence.
The opening of this office is part of the USPTO’s plan to open satellite offices in every continental U.S. time zone. The USPTO previously opened an office in Detroit in 2012. Additional satellite offices in Dallas and San Jose are planned to be opened in 2015.
Read Acting Director Michelle K. Lee’s Opening Remarks here.
