One tidbit from the BIO 2005 sessions that really stuck in my mind - the PTO now faces a backlog of 500,000 patent applications. With the rate of growth in patent filings, they foresee having a backlog of a million applications within the next 10 years. The speaker, Dr. Jasemine Chambers, Director of Technology Center 1600 at the PTO, said that despite the increased filing fees, there has been little to no slowdown in the filings.
The PTO is hoping that some of the patent reform initiative and changes to restriction practice will help stem the tide and assist the PTO in digging out of the backlog and providing faster, quicker service for inventors out there.
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