The office of Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office hosted a first-of-its kind, virtual recruiting session today to raise awareness about hiring at the new Denver satellite patent office, slated to open later this year.
The event featured a panel of USPTO patent examiners that explained what their job entails, shared experiences, and answered live questions from those tuning it across the country. The event also included taped remarks by U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and USPTO Deputy Director and Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property Michelle K. Lee.
“We’re so excited to welcome the USPTO to Colorado,” Bennet said. “Colorado is one of the world’s most vibrant clusters of creative people and entrepreneurs and we need a patent review process that can keep up with our dynamic community.
“The new satellite offices….will become great resources for inventors, but the offices won’t thrive without you,” Bennet added. “As a patent examiner you’ll meet our country’s newest inventors, see exciting technologies, and help grow our innovation economy.”
“We’re thrilled to be a part of the Denver community, one of the nation’s fastest growing and most innovative regions, and we’re looking forward to opening our permanent office in the Byron G. Rogers Federal Office Building this summer,” USPTO Deputy Director Lee said.
“Our agency is looking for talented professionals who can work closely with inventors and entrepreneurs to process their applications, reduce the backlog of unexamined patents, and help businesses move their innovations to market more efficiently than ever before.”
One of the panelists was Supervisory Patent Examiner William Vaughn, a veteran who served three years in the Army. Vaughn sees similarities between serving his country in the military and his current work as a patent examiner.
“After leaving the military, I was looking for an opportunity that would provide the same level of satisfaction I felt when I was serving my country in uniform,” Vaughn said. “I found that with the patent office, where each day I feel like I’m having a positive effect on our nation’s economy by helping businesses, entrepreneurs, and inventors succeed.”
Bennet helped lead the effort to bring the satellite office to Colorado. He authored the amendment, cosponsored by Colorado U.S. Senator Mark Udall, in 2011’s patent reform law that instructed the USPTO to open three new satellite offices around the country. Following passage of the amendment, he led a broad stakeholder effort with the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation that included leaders from government, the business community, academia, and communities across the state to successfully make the case for locating a satellite office in Colorado.
That effort included hand-delivering a comprehensive report from Colorado business leaders to the USPTO in Washington showing why Colorado should be home to a satellite patent office; organizing an online petition that garnered nearly 6,000 signers; leading several letters from the Colorado Congressional delegation to the Administration, the USPTO, and the Department of Commerce; and mobilizing statewide veterans groups in support of the satellite office.