USPTO advisory committee lapse erodes accountability, former members say
By Nick Robertson ( September 4, 2026, 14:51 GMT | Comment) -- The US Patent and Trademark Office’s public advisory committees haven’t met for nearly two years, missing statutory deadlines and remaining largely vacant. Their partial reconstitution has yet to restore an important check on agency leadership, former members tell MLex.A month after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was confirmed in early 2025, he made the unprecedented decision to fire all 18 voting members of the US Patent and Trademark Office’s public advisory committees....
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