Patent Examiner Fired After Outsourcing Tasks Via Gig-Work Site

A patent examiner was fired after being discovered farming out work through an outsourcing website, according to an inspector general’s report.

The examiner—part of a US Patent and Trademark Office team that reviews patent applications relating computer architecture and software, including AI inventions—paid a contractor $40 for 30 minutes of work through freelancing platform Upwork, according to a report issued by the Commerce Department’s Office of the Inspector General and obtained by Bloomberg Law through a records request.

The PTO confirmed the firing and said the examiner was terminated in January.

The individual, whose name was redacted, made three additional ...