Unexamined patent applications stack up due to filched funds
The shell game called the federal budget added another nut recently as media reports revealed that during the last 20 years, approximately $1 billion in fees paid by patent applicants has been diverted from its proper use at the United States Patent Office (USPTO).
Critics argue that, as a self-funded agency, USPTO should not be impacted by the “sequester” game of chicken both sides of the aisle are playing.