The article analyzes the workflow at the USPTO, highlighting how patent examiners operate under a bi-weekly quota system. It explains the cyclical nature of their productivity, showcasing peaks in activity aligned with both bi-weekly, quarterly, and yearly deadlines. By illustrating these trends with data from office actions between 2022 and 2024, the article emphasizes the intense deadlines faced by patent examiners, similar to those of patent attorneys, reflecting the challenges and working dynamics within the USPTO’s operational framework.
The chart above is not an EKG. Rather, it shows the ebb and flow of USPTO activity -- the heartbeat of the 10,000+ patent examiners whose activity follows the bi-weekly quota system.
The regular peaks come every two weeks, but the chart shows an overlay of two additional quotas: quarterly quotas (the higher blip every 3 months) and yearly quotas (the messy blip at the end of each fiscal year).
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