As intellectual property attorneys await word on whether the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will drop controversial rules facing a court challenge, the agency’s direction is quickly shifting under a new leadership regime. The ultimate goal is reducing patent application processing time.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke tapped Foley & Lardner partner Sharon Barner as deputy director on Oct. 2. The appointment of Barner, the Chicago-based chairwoman of the firm’s intellectual property department, follows PTO director David Kappos’ Sept. 30 announcement of a proposed overhaul to patent examiners’ deadlines and how their work is evaluated.
