USPTO Seeks Comments On Draft Strategic Plan 2018-2022

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking comments on its draft strategic plan for the years 2018-2022. The draft plan covers a range of goals, including optimizing patent and trademark quality and timeliness, and providing “domestic and global leadership to improve intellectual property policy, enforcement, and protection worldwide.”

The 38-page draft strategic plan is available here [pdf].

The draft plan shows an emphasis on the business user experience, and on the full functioning and improvement of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), which reviews patent grants and has come under some criticism from patent-filers since its inception in 2012.

Comments on the draft plan are invited via email to strategicplanning1@uspto.gov until 20 September.

The final strategic plan for 2018-2022 is expected to be posted in November.

On the international front, goals include:

“Objective 2: Provide Leadership and Education on International Intellectual Property Policy and Awareness
A. Provide international policy formulation and guidance on key issues in all fields of intellectual property enforcement and protection.
B. Provide leadership, support and advice to the administration in negotiating and monitoring
compliance with the intellectual property provisions in trade agreements.
C. Lead administration efforts at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and other international organizations to improve intellectual property enforcement, protection, and cooperation worldwide.
D. Engage other governments to improve their intellectual property enforcement and protection, including by providing education and capacity building.
E. Work with Congress on matters pertaining to international agreements and their implementation.
F. Work with the administration to improve intellectual property enforcement and protection in countries of interest, including through the intellectual property Attaché Program.
G. Advocate for the value of intellectual property as a critical driver of innovation and creativity.

Key Performance Indicators
1. Develop country-specific action plans to monitor priority economies’ progress along the following dimensions: (a) Institutional improvements of IP office administration for advancing IP rights; (b) Improvements in IP laws and regulations; (c) Institutional improvements of IP enforcement entities; (d) Establishment of government-to-government cooperative mechanisms.
2. Provide training and information on best practices to protect and enforce IP.
3. Further international work sharing opportunities and cooperation through memoranda of understanding (MOU) agreements with other IP offices and relevant authorities.
4. Provide substantive input and expert legal and technical advice on key IP issues, and in agreement/treaty negotiations.
5. Provide technical assistance and advice to Members of Congress and key staff on key international IP issues.”

More information is available at: www.uspto.gov/about-us/performance-and-planning/strategy-and-reporting.

 

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