In a recent article published in MSN's "Business in the Main", Secretary Gary Locke expresses his outrage at the USPTO's long processing times for patent applications.  He says: "Quite frankly, the Patent and Trademark Office needs to be overhauled.  I find it absolutely outrageous and unacceptable for the time it takes before we can even get a look at a patent application.  We call it a "first action" and it can take more than two years.  And then it may take another year for patent approval or rejection.  This stifles innovation and creates too much uncertainty in the marketplace.  It is my goal to dramatically revamp and streamline patent processing time."   Click here to

Mismanagement during the Dudas Era, has significantly contributed to the long processing times of patent applications.  For example, a USPTO official states that USPTO management permitted patent applications reviewed under the second pair of eyes review program to 'languish".  Click here to read the USPTO Official's comments in a USPTO email obtained through FOIA.

We, the public, don't know if some USPTO managers have destroyed some of these emails in a bid to cover up mismanagement.  There is one email, (click here to read), that has been shown here at this blog before, of a USPTO manager ordering USPTO workers to "throw away" second pair of eyes lists, that would shed light into the USPTO's patent operations regarding the second pair of eyes program.

In his September 14, 2009 remarks to the Annual IPO Conference, USPTO Director David Kappos, states that the USPTO is facing approximately a $200 Million shortfall in funding because of the downturn in filings, issuances, and maintenance fee payments.  Click here to read the text of Director Kappos's address.

As I've expressed here at this blog in previous entries,  I believe that mismanagement during the Dudas era, which severely suppressed allowance rates, and hence suppressed maintenance fees, has greatly contributed to the funding shortfall.

I also believe that a significant portion of the USPTO's funding has been whittled away to fund one office within the USPTO's Office of General Counsel, that was charged during the Dudas era with defending USPTO mismanagement and waste.