In accordance with a White House executive action call to strengthen our patent system and foster innovation, the USPTO is expanding its Patent Examiner Technical Training Program (PETTP). The USPTO is requesting voluntary assistance from technologists, scientists, engineers, and other experts from industry and academia to participate as guest lecturers and provide technical training and expertise to patent examiners regarding the state of the art.
Guest lecturers will have relevant, historic and current technical knowledge, including industry practices/standards in technological areas of interest. Guest lecturers must also have relevant technical knowledge, as well as familiarity with prior art and industry practices/standards in areas of technologies where such lectures would be beneficial.
With the opening of the Elijah J. McCoy satellite office in Detroit and future satellite offices, guest lecturers have the option of presenting a lecture in-person or virtually in either Detroit, Michigan, or Alexandria, Virginia. Training delivered at each location will be broadcast to patent examiners across the entire USPTO.
PETTP is not intended as an opportunity for applicants to discuss pending applications with USPTO employees or to circumvent normal communication between applicants or applicants' representatives and USPTO employees. In addition, PETTP participants are not to provide advice or recommendations to the USPTO. The PETTP is envisioned only as an opportunity to provide patent examiners with necessary training from scientists and experts working directly in the various technologies throughout the USPTO.
For more information you may contact:
OFFICE OF PATENT TRAINING, LEAD - Alexa Neckel - alexa.neckel@uspto.gov
or view our brochure: Volunteer - Share Your Expertise with Patent Examiners for PETTP contacts within the Tech Centers