House & Senate Judiciary Lawmakers Seek Information on USPTO Operations Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
Written April 16, 2020
On April 14, 2020, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Chairman Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), sent a letter to USPTO Director Andrei Iancu requesting information on the impact the coronavirus public health crisis has had on the operations of the USPTO.
Specifically, the Members are seeking an update on the USPTO's transition to a primarily virtual work environment, including whether the USPTO has sufficient technological resources to maintain remote operations for the foreseeable future and whether the initial stages of adopting these measures have revealed any lapses or gaps (for employees or those who appear before the USPTO) in moving to such an environment. Likewise the members are seeking information on the scope of declining trademark filings and the financial status of the agency.