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 June 2025
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Greetings from Acting Director Stewart |
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 Coke Morgan Stewart, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting Director of the USPTO, (center) speaks during a fire side chat moderated by Valencia Martin Wallace, Acting Commissioner for Patents at the USPTO, (left) and Shelley Self, a Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE) in Patent Technology Center 3700, (right) before a group of SPEs. (Photo by Michael Connor/USPTO)
In the innovation lifecycle, I understand that the timely issuance of patents is essential for inventors and small businesses. Patents provide legal protection for inventions and give inventors the exclusive right to make, use, and sell their inventions. They also prevent others from copying or infringing upon the patented invention and ultimately fuel research and development of new products and services.
Currently, the patent inventory—the number of patent applications awaiting examination—stands at more than 800,000. First action pendency—the time it takes for an examiner to begin work on a new application—is nearly 2 years. Both are unacceptably high. Consequently, the USPTO is working very hard to reduce both the inventory and pendency numbers to enable you to secure protection for your inventions faster.
We have undertaken several new efforts, and I want to share them with you. First, we are focusing all examiner resources on performing examination. Second, we have instituted a new award program through which examiners can earn incentives for examining more applications. Third, we are investigating and securing state-of-the-art search tools like AI to assist examiners. Fourth, we are taking affirmative steps to address fraudulent patent filings and thereby eliminate fake and low-quality applications from the examination queue. Finally, we have eliminated several specialized examination programs that disrupt application processing to enable examiners to better concentrate on applications assigned for examination.
In just the first four months since we made these changes, we already have seen progress toward reducing patent inventory. In January, inventory was more than 835,000, and it currently stands at less than 815,000. This reduction is the first inventory reduction in over four years. We know we are on the right track. And we are going to continue to our progress unrelentingly until we reach our goal of bringing the patent inventory to a net steady state in the 500,000s.
You can continue to monitor our progress on our Patents Dashboard, which shows our current inventory and pendency numbers, as well as other critical information such as staffing. I assure you of my commitment to inventors and to the intellectual property protection of your inventions. For our nation’s future, you deserve no less.
Coke Morgan Stewart
Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting Director of the USPTO
P.S. Stay up to date with the latest news for inventors and entrepreneurs! Sign up to receive each issue of this newsletter.
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Resources to help bring your products to market |
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Program spotlight: Tips from Trademark Basics Boot Camp
Do you actually need a federal trademark registration?
Determining whether you should apply to federally register your trademark with the USPTO is an important step for any inventor. Here are some tips to help you decide if federal trademark registration is right for you:
Do I have to register my trademark with the USPTO? No, federal trademark registration is not required. You have a trademark as soon as you start to use the trademark in commerce to indicate the source of your specific products or services. The trademark is protected by common law trademark rights.
What are have common law trademark rights? Common law trademark rights are created when you begin to use your unique trademark to indicate the source of particular goods or services. They are, however, limited to the geographic area where the trademark is used. For example, if you only use your trademark in Maine, then you have common law trademark rights only in Maine; you don't have common law rights in California.
How do I secure national trademark rights? Federal trademark registration is national, which is important if you plan to sell the good or service you've created throughout the country.
What are the benefits of registering a trademark with the USPTO? Registering a trademark creates many benefits, such as:
- Legal presumption that you own the trademark and have the right to use it in all 50 states and the U.S. territories
- Ability to bring legal action concerning the trademark in federal court
- Ability to record your federal trademark registration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection so those agents can prevent counterfeits from entering the country
- Listing the trademark in the USPTO database of registered and pending trademarks, providing public notice to anyone searching for similar marks
- Ability to use the ® indicator symbol to let the public know you've federally registered the trademark with the USPTO
You spent time and effort creating your trademark, so consider applying for federal trademark registration to protect it. Learn more by visiting the Trademark Basics page.
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Module 1: Fundamentals (July 1)
Learn the definitions and types of trademarks, benefits of federal registration, how to find help, and more.
Module 2: Registration process overview (July 8)
Learn about the overall trademark registration process, from filing to registration, including application workflow and timeline overview.
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Events to help you protect your intellectual property
Introduction to intellectual property series
Are you curious about intellectual property (IP) and interested in learning more? This quarterly series provides an overview of helpful resources for inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Join our experts from June 23-27 as we focus on various subjects to protect your innovations such as patent basics, trademark basics, resources, and information to protect your IP abroad.
This series is also offered in Spanish during the same week: Introducción a la Propiedad Intelectual.
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A summer camp to inspire your young inventor
 If you have a curious kid entering grades K-6, you should consider enrolling them in one of the more than 1,500 Camp Invention programs run nationwide in schools, community centers, and other local facilities.
Camp Invention inspires curiosity and helps kids build essential STEM skills through collaboration with friends and one-of-a-kind creative problem-solving experiences. Campers explore hands-on challenges and open-ended adventures designed to encourage new discoveries and to bring big ideas to life!
Learn more and find a camp near you.
Filing a patent application on your own
The Pro Se Assistance Program provides education and assistance to applicants who file patent applications without the assistance of a registered patent attorney or agent. While USPTO employees can’t give legal advice, the pro se team is available to answer patent-related questions and assist with application filing. There is no charge to use the program. Through this program applicants can access training and resources for every stage of the patent application process and schedule a one-on-one meeting with a pro se team member.
Startup certification training course
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The Startup certification training course is a two-hour, self-paced virtual course convenient for entrepreneurs and small business owners on the go. You'll learn how to identify and protect your intellectual property (IP), cybersecurity for small businesses, and how to avoid scams and suspicious funding.
Also, visit our Startup resources page to help you plan for success, find federal funding, and engage with experts.
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USPTO needs to hear from you |
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Social media highlight
Follow our channels for practical tips, know-how, and inspiration
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Whether your business is just getting started or looking to grow, we're here to help you protect your inventions and bring them to market.
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What a magical time celebrating the newest class of inductees into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF)!
Their inventions enable earlier detection of disease, enhanced vaccinations through structure-based design to stabilize and modify the surface proteins of viruses, biological pest management, and more. Thanks to our partners at NIHF for recognizing these inventors who have made significant contributions to the world.
You can also find a collection of inspiring stories featuring NIHF inductees in our Journeys of Innovation series. Learn about what led them to their inventive breakthroughs, the challenges they faced to carry their inventive ideas to fruition, and how their inventions impacted society.
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P.S. Stay up to date with the latest news for inventors and entrepreneurs! Sign up to receive each issue of this newsletter. |
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