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Topic: Working for the USPTO (Read 418732 times) |
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why
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Re: Working for the USPTO
« Reply #1015 on: Jun 19th, 2007, 12:33pm » |
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Did anyone have this problem with this post forum? I tried many time to post a message, and it kept telling me that my messager cannot include any Web link in it. I checked and rechecked, there is no Web link or adrdress in my message. I just couldn't finish posting the message! Very frustrated.
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mrWorry
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Re: Working for the USPTO
« Reply #1016 on: Jun 19th, 2007, 1:29pm » |
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To current and previous Patent Examiners at PTO: I have a question that may sound silly; hope you do not mind: If a patent application gets assigned to you, with claims saying that its invention can run an engine on air and water only, and it can go as fast as 200K RPM. It is accompanied by stacks of highly technical, sophisticated, and difficult design documents and design diagrams (dozens of them, if not hundreds). As a patent examiner, obviously you will not be able to find any prior invention (art) with such claims. Now what ? Do you have to, or are you required to carefully go through all of these design documents and diagrams and prove that it actually will work according to its claims, or to disprove it? All within the (short) allocated time ? I just want to know how technical a PE job really is. A number of previous posters indicated that a PE job is mainly (over 90 percent) legal and analytical paper work. That will leave only a few percentage of your time for going through and truly understanding the design/diagrams. Shouldn't it really be the other way around? Shouldn't a PE be spending over 90 percent of his/her time on technical stuff, and the rest on legal/analysis paper work ? Now, if this is truly the case, then the real question is, how does the PTO expect a patent examiner with just a 4-year degree and may be a couple of years of experience (isn't that the minimum requirement stated in the Job Vacancy Announcement?) to be technically competent enough to do such work? Thank you ahead of time for answering my (silly) question.
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aa
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Re: Working for the USPTO
« Reply #1017 on: Jun 19th, 2007, 3:49pm » |
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on Jun 19th, 2007, 1:29pm, mrWorry wrote:To current and previous Patent Examiners at PTO: I have a question that may sound silly; hope you do not mind: If a patent application gets assigned to you, with claims saying that its invention can run an engine on air and water only, and it can go as fast as 200K RPM. It is accompanied by stacks of highly technical, sophisticated, and difficult design documents and design diagrams (dozens of them, if not hundreds). As a patent examiner, obviously you will not be able to find any prior invention (art) with such claims. Now what ? Do you have to, or are you required to carefully go through all of these design documents and diagrams and prove that it actually will work according to its claims, or to disprove it? All within the (short) allocated time ? |
| mrworry: you worry too much. There are enablement requirements in 112(1), and you could do a 101 rejection saying it is inoperative. You can even require a model or exhibit. Look in the MPEP.
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aa
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Re: Working for the USPTO
« Reply #1018 on: Jun 19th, 2007, 4:03pm » |
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on Jun 19th, 2007, 8:11am, guestexam wrote:Yes it is true that the PTO was prosecting a former examiner. You can also find the story in a recent POPA newsletter at popa-dot-org. To the other posters - the PTO will fire anyone who doesn't meet production or quality standards. It is just easier to fire someone who isn't producing while they are still in their probationary year(s) because there is less governmental red-tape. It takes longer to fire retained employees, but it happens on a fairly regular basis. The PTO is an intellectual sweat shop, but that is the job . Production, production, production. Love it, leave it, or they'll ask you to leave. If you don't have illusions about what the job is, going in, then you'll be less likely to freak out about it once you are there. Some people don't believe what current and former examiners have to say about the place. There is a reason so much of it is negative. It is not a job for everyone. For some, it is the best place in the world. For others, it is a stepping stone to something else. It is what you make of it. |
| The PTO lost that case, thank god. I agree that if you can't handle the production you won't be in the Office long, but usually not an outright firing. You'll feel big pressure from above to improve, and unless you are brain-dead you'll know what is coming.
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af
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Re: Working for the USPTO
« Reply #1019 on: Jun 19th, 2007, 5:48pm » |
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Worried is asking all the right questions... I think the real answer is that you can't be thorough about the technical stuff and satisfy the production requirements... even if you have a phd... let alone if you only have a bachelor's.
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