The Trademark Organization - What's Ahead
The Trademark organization will continue to move aggressively in the next year to implement the objectives of the 21st Century Strategic Plan by completing the redesign of its operations to use e-government as the primary means of doing business with applicants and registrants, and as the sole means for processing work inside the examining operation.
The Trademark organization has achieved considerable success in implementing its business process reengineering plan to move from primarily doing business with paper to doing business in an electronic environment. Completion of an electronic file management system, in addition to our currently available electronic filing and information systems, permits:
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Reduction in cycle times by consolidating separate processes and eliminating the potential for lost or missing papers that create additional delays and poor service;
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Enhancements in the functionality and number of electronic filing options; and
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Ability to offer a totally electronic filing and receiving process to handle applications from U.S. applicants seeking protection of their mark in foreign countries, and requests for protection of marks from foreign countries in the United States.
As paper records disappear from internal processes, the cost for handling applications and related materials, along with the reliance on increasing numbers of employees or contractors to handle increases in filings, will continue to decrease. Data quality has improved as data is captured electronically to support examination and to publish documents and registrations. Electronic file management presents an opportunity for the USPTO to offer multiple options for filing that allow applicants to select the method of filing that best suits their business needs.
