PERFORMANCE GOALS AND RESULTS

Over the past decade, the USPTO faced unprecedented challenges including soaring workloads, resource limitations, increasingly complex technology, and growing demands from customers. Now more than ever, it is critical that the USPTO reinforce its position as the leading IP organization in the world by providing the highest quality patents and trademarks in a timely manner. To do this, the USPTO has refocused its attention on achieving two core goals: (1) enhance the quality of USPTO products and services, and (2) minimize patent and trademark application processing time.

Both the patent business and the trademark business adopted these two goals to guide their operations. In sharing these goals, both patents and trademarks require a fundamental pre-requisite for successfully meeting quality and timeliness goals and targets to transition to e-Government.

As demonstrated in the following two sections, both the patent and trademark businesses have prepared a strategic plan reflecting their unique environment, size, complexity, and customer base. The patent business plans to put its electronic patent application processing and workflow system into operation in FY 2004. The trademark business plans to complete its transition from paper-based processing to complete electronic processing by FY 2004. Discussion of performance evaluation processes and initiatives, and an overview of IP policy and leadership, follow these two sections.

Patents

Trademarks

Evaluation of Performance Data

Intellectual Property Policy and Leadership