The Federal government demonstrated during sequestration that the America Invents Act (AIA) didn't eliminate fee diversion. In response, Representatives Conyers, Watt, Issa, and Collins introduced a House bill (H.R. 3349) to provide permanent funding for the USPTO on October 28, 2013. The bills calls for a revolving fund into which the USPTO would deposit its fee revenues to be used solely for its reasonable expenses. The USPTO would also no longer be subject to the annual appropriations process. Many applicants would agree with AIPLA Executive Director Q. Todd Dickinson's statement that "the time has come for Congress to provide the USPTO with the ability to do the work its customers pay for by ending the possibility of fee diversion, once and for all." But will Congress vote against another source of funding?
Copyright © 2013 Robert Moll. All rights reserved.
