USPTO seeks comments on women’s participation in patent system

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is  seeking public comments on the participation of women, minorities and veterans in entrepreneurship activities and the patent system.

Announced on Friday, May 3, the federal register notice is seeking the comments to help prepare a study on the subject, required by the Study of Underrepresented Classes Chasing Engineering and Science (SUCCESS) Act.

Passed in October 2018, the SUCCESS Act requires the USPTO to conduct a study into the number of patents applied for and obtained by women, minorities and veterans, and by small businesses owned by these categories.

The USPTO will also need to provide recommendations on ways to promote participation in entrepreneurship activities and increase patent filings by these groups.

Women inventors still make up just 12% of all patent inventors in the US, according to  USPTO statistics released in February.

Despite the “sluggish” growth in the number of women inventors overall, the number of patents with at least one woman listed as an inventor has increased from 7% in the 1980s to 21% in 2016, said the office.

In the federal register notice for comments, the USPTO said that it understands significant information gaps exist for documenting the number of and benefits from patents applied for and obtained by women, minorities, and veterans.

To overcome this limitation, the office is engaging with other bureaus within the Department of Commerce and consulting with other US government agencies, about possible data sharing or analysis.

The report is due by October 31, 2019.

WIPR has recently launched its own diversity channel, focusing on women in the IP industry.

In “ Women in STEM: Bridging the gender gap”, WIPR investigates the reasons behind the failure to attract and retain women, and what needs to be done.

We also look into the work Technology Transfer Offices in the US are doing to  promote greater female participation in the patent system.

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