System for examining patent and trademark applications

摘要

The present invention relates to a system of examining patent applications. Particularly, a system in which a portion of the examining core is spread out at various locations away from the central location of the Patent and Trademark Office. Examiners located all over the country can conduct their examining duties from an office set up at home. Giving Examiners the option of living anywhere in the country provides a greater incentive for them to remain employees of the Patent Office. Additionally, this system increases interest in becoming a patent Examiner for hundreds of patent agents and attorneys whose main reason for leaving, or not joining, the Patent Office was, and is, being restricted to the limited commutable area in which they must live. In this way, the pool from which the Patent Office can hire, or contract work, increases by hundreds of highly motivated, and qualified candidates.