Comment of the United States Federal Trade Commission and the United States Department of Justice Before the United States Department of Commerce Patent and Trademark Office: In the Matter of Request For Comments On Enhancing Patent Quality

The FTC and the Department of Justice jointly submitted comments to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) in response to the PTO’s comprehensive initiative to increase the quality of granted patents. The PTO initiative focuses on excellence in work products, measuring patent quality, and customer service. The comments commend the PTO for its continuing efforts to enhance patent quality, and support efforts to give clearer notice of the boundaries of claimed inventions. “Clearer patent notice can encourage market participants to collaborate, transfer technology, or – in some cases – to design-around patents, thus leading to a more efficient marketplace for intellectual property and the goods and services that practice such rights,” the comments state.