Submitting OIG:
Report Description:
For our evaluation of the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO’s) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (the Department’s) ethics oversight of USPTO patent examiners, our evaluation objective was to determine whether USPTO and the Department effectively administered ethics rules to prevent financial conflicts of interest by USPTO patent examiners. Overall, we found that USPTO and the Department did not effectively administer the Department’s ethics program to protect against potential conflicts of interest by patent examiners. Specifically, we found that I. USPTO and the Department did not ensure examiners filed confidential financial disclosure reports (CFDRs) as required; II. The Department did not identify or resolve potential financial conflicts in CFDRs; and III. USPTO and the Department did not provide specialized training or guidance to examiners on potential ethics conflicts.
Short / Alternative Report Title:
The Department Needs to Strengthen Its Ethics Oversight for USPTO Patent Examiners
Date Issued:
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Agency Reviewed / Investigated:
Submitting OIG-Specific Report Number:
OIG-24-013-I
Component, if applicable:
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Location(s):
Agency-Wide
Type of Report:
Inspection / Evaluation
Questioned Costs:
$0
Funds for Better Use:
$0
Number of Recommendations:
8
Report updated under NDAA 5274:
No
View Document:
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
OIG-24-013-I.pdf | 5.32 MB |
Additional Details Link: