Chief Patent Board Judge Waves Off Workforce Attrition Concerns

A US Patent and Trademark Office executive played down the impact workforce attrition is having at the agency’s board that reviews patent validity challenges and appeals for denied patents at a webinar Wednesday.

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has seen around 30 of its administrative patent judges—roughly 13%—depart since Jan. 19 because of buyout offers, retirements, or resignations to take jobs in the private sector, Chief Judge Scott Boalick said during a PTO-run webinar. Asked if the board has sufficient staff, Boalick said the bleed of judges won’t affect the administrative tribunal’s workflow.

“We do have enough staff ...