Performance Goal 2: Optimize Trademark Quality and Timeliness
Trademark Quality
The Trademark organization measures for assessing examination quality
include an evaluation for all issues that could be considered deficient
in making a first and final action substantive refusal. Evaluations are
conducted on a random sample of applications to review the quality of
decision making of the examiner’s first office action and final
action refusal.
The “in-process review” standard for assessing excellent
and deficient work creates a comprehensive, meaningful and rigorous review
of what constitutes quality.
The results of an examiner’s first action and final refusal are
reviewed for the quality of the substantive basis for decision-making,
search strategy, evidence and writing. The measures consider elements
for review and evaluation with training targeted to topics that warrant
improvement. Examiners are given feedback about excellent as well as deficient
work to further improve quality.
Measure: Trademark Final Action Compliance Rate
| 2004 |
95.0% |
94.2% |
| 2005 |
95.0% |
94.1% |
| 2006 |
93.5% |
96.4% |
| 2007 |
96.0% |
97.4% |
|
|
Measure: Trademark First Action Compliance Rate
| 2004 |
91.7% |
92.1% |
| 2005 |
92.5% |
95.3% |
| 2006 |
93.5% |
95.7% |
| 2007 |
95.5% |
95.9% |
|
|
Data Verification and Validation for Trademark Final Action Compliance
Rate and Trademark First Action Compliance Rate
Data Verification and Validation for Trademark Final Action Compliance
Rate and Trademark First Action Compliance Rate
| Data
source: |
Office
of Trademark Quality Review Report |
| Frequency:
|
Daily
input, monthly reporting |
| Data
storage: |
Automated
systems, reports |
| Verification: |
Manual
reports and analysis |
| Data
Limitations: |
None |
Trademark Pendency
Trademark first action pendency measures the average number of months
from the date of application filing to the first office action.
Trademark average total pendency measures the average number of months,
from the date of application filing to the date of disposal. Disposal
includes registration, abandonment or issuance of a notice of allowance,
excluding applications, that are suspended and awaiting further action
or involved in inter partes proceedings.
Disposal pendency, including suspended and inter partes cases,
was 15.1 months. Excluding applications that were suspended or delayed
for inter partes proceedings; disposal pendency was 13.4 months.
Measure: Trademark Average First Action Pendency
| 2004 |
5.4 |
6.6 |
| 2005 |
6.4 |
6.3 |
| 2006 |
5.3 |
4.8 |
| 2007 |
3.7 |
2.9 |
|
|
Measure: Trademark Average Total Pendency
| 2004 |
21.6 |
19.5 |
| 2005 |
20.3 |
19.6 |
| 2006 |
18.8 |
18.0 |
| 2007 |
17.3 |
15.1 |
|
|
Data Verification and Validation for Trademark Average First Action Pendency
and Trademark Average Total Pendency
Data Verification and Validation for Trademark Average First Action Pendency
and Trademark Average Total Pendency
| Data
source: |
TRAM
system |
| Frequency:
|
Daily
input, monthly reporting |
| Data
storage: |
TRAM,
automated systems, reports |
| Verification: |
Accuracy
of supporting data is controlled through internal program edits in
the TRAM system. Program management performs final test for reasonableness |
| Data
Limitations: |
None |
Trademark E-Filing and E-Management
The number of trademark applications has progressed steadily over the
years as a result of promotional events, increased number and type of
applications, electronic filing, improved functionality and enhancements,
and financial incentives, for example, lower fees.
The Trademark organization has created a fully electronic trademark application
management process by capturing nearly 100 percent of the application
inventory as an electronic file that includes text and image of the initial
application and subsequent applicant and office correspondence. Examining
attorneys use the electronic record to process and examine applications,
manage their dockets of pending work, and take action on applications.
Measure: Trademark Applications Filed Electronically
| 2004 |
65.0% |
73.0% |
| 2005 |
70.0% |
88.0% |
| 2006 |
80.0% |
93.8% |
| 2007 |
90.0% |
95.4% |
|
|
Data Verification and Validation for Trademark Applications Filed Electronically
| Data
source: |
TRAM
system |
| Frequency:
|
Daily
input, monthly reporting |
| Data
storage: |
TRAM
and automated systems |
| Verification: |
Accuracy
of supporting data is controlled through internal program edits in
the TRAM system and crosschecks against other automated systems |
| Data
Limitations: |
None |
Measure: Trademark Applications Managed Electronically
| 2004 |
80.0% |
98.0% |
| 2005 |
99.0% |
99.9% |
| 2006 |
99.0% |
99.9% |
| 2007 |
99.0% |
99.9% |
|
|
Data Verification and Validation for Trademark Applications Managed Electronically
| Data
source: |
TRAM
system and Trademark Image Capture and Retrieval System database reports |
| Frequency:
|
Daily
input, monthly reporting |
| Data
storage: |
TRAM
and automated systems |
| Verification: |
Accuracy
of supporting data is controlled through internal program edits in
the TRAM system and crosschecks against other automated systems |
| Data
Limitations: |
None |
Trademark Efficiency
Measures the relative cost-effectiveness of the entire trademark examination
process over time, or the efficiency with which the organization applies
its resources to production.
Measure: Trademark Efficiency
| 2004 |
$583 |
$542 |
| 2005 |
$701 |
$677 |
| 2006 |
$635 |
$565 |
| 2007 |
$685 |
$660 |
|
|
Data Verification and Validation for Trademark Efficiency
| Data
source: |
TRAM
system, Momentum, ABM system |
| Frequency:
|
Daily
input, quarterly reporting |
| Data
storage: |
TRAM,
Data Warehouse, ABM system |
| Verification: |
Accuracy
of supporting data is controlled through internal program edits in
TRAM, Momentum, ABM System. Quality control review of data by ABC
System and program organization teams |
| Data
Limitations: |
None |
|
