Michelle Lee: underrepresentation of women inventors is ‘not acceptable’
The director of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has expressed her concern at the lack of representation of women inventors listed on patents that the office grants.
In a speech given to the Million Women Mentors summit and published on the USPTO website on Monday, September 21, Michelle Lee said: “Women are underrepresented as inventors listed on patents; a disparity that I see clearly as the first woman director of the USPTO”.
The Million Women Mentors is an organisation dedicated to encouraging women to enter into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.
Earlier this year, Lee was confirmed as the director of the USPTO and was the first woman to be appointed to the role.
In her speech, Lee cited a 2012 study published by the Women’s Business Council that said women were listed as inventors of only 18% of all patents granted by the USPTO in 2010.
She continued: “Two of the professional areas in which women are the least represented are computer science and electrical engineering ... [and] the story is much the same across the board for women in STEM fields.
“That story is not acceptable,” she added.
Lee said that a long-term approach was required to address the problem.
The USPTO is working with the non-profit Camp Invention to raise awareness about designing and inventions among young children. It has also partnered with Urban Alliance to encourage high school students to enter into internships with technology companies.
Later this year, the USPTO will host the “Gender Gap in Patenting” event, which will focus on how to improve the representation of women inventors listed on patent filings.
Reacting to Lee’s claims, Janis Fraser, principal at law firm Fish & Richardson, said she was “surprised” at the “low number” of women named on patent inventions.
Fraser added that she doesn’t believe that the USPTO discriminates between genders when examining patent applications and said the disparity must begin at an “earlier stage”.
“The most likely explanation is that many more men than women end up in the sort of research and engineering careers where they are in a position to make inventions,” she said.
In her speech, Lee said she launched the All in STEM programme to address the balance. She added that the programme is intended “to encourage more women to pursue STEM degrees and to work and advance in STEM careers”.
Marylee Jenkins, partner at law firm Arent Fox and a member of the USPTO’s Patent Public Advisory Committee, said tackling the issue of the underrepresentation of women in patents granted is a “big challenge”.
She agreed with Lee’s approach that education is the correct strategy to address the issue and said that the USPTO is already doing an important job of reaching out to women.
“The problem women inventors face is finding the right people to guide them through the process and have funding to get them through. Education on patenting in general would be helpful,” she added.
