Update on the Patent Examiner Technical Training Program (PETTP)
Blog by Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO David Kappos
One of our top priorities at USPTO is to ensure that we have a well-trained workforce. Our Patent Examiner Technical Training Program (PETTP) provides patent examiners with direct access to experts who are able to share their technical knowledge on prior art and industry standards in areas of emerging technologies and established technologies.
This program provides an excellent opportunity for communication between patent examiners and the experts who work in the various technologies that are examined throughout USPTO.
In the past, we have had success with patent examiner technical training through technology fairs and informal training sessions for the patent corps. The PETTP program is building on that success and implementing a coordinated process to attract industry experts to the USPTO to provide examiner training.
We believe that putting patent examiners together with innovators and experts in an educational environment where the experts can discuss advances in the state of the art, emerging trends, and recent innovations in their fields will result in better informed examiners and higher quality final dispositions. So far the program has generated considerable interest in the patent community. We have trained more than 1,200 examiners and hosted upwards of 20 organizations including Facebook, Apple, VISA, UPS, Hitachi, SAS and St. Jude Medical.
To learn more about the program I encourage you to visit the Patent Examiner Technical Training Program website. There you will find background on the program, a link to the Federal Register Notice, and a list of the types of technical training needs by Technology Center.
In an effort to allow for more flexibility in delivering training for those who elect not to travel, training can be delivered using webinars in this program
Interested participants should contact the USPTO and identify their area of expertise by filling out this online form or by sending an email to Examiner_Technical_Training@uspto.gov.
The PETTP program provides a great opportunity to enhance the quality of our patent examination. This initiative is the latest illustration of our desire to collaborate with the stakeholder community to improve the patent system.
We believe this kind of training provides a great opportunity to enhance the quality of our patent examination and this initiative is the latest illustration of our desire to collaborate with the stakeholder community to improve the patent system.
As always, I look forward to your feedback.
Posted at 10:29AM Apr 08, 2011 in patents |