GAO says USPTO backlog reduction efforts threaten quality, examiner retention
By Nick Robertson ( November 9, 2026, 20:57 GMT | Insight) -- Recent progress on reducing the patent application backlog at the US Patent and Trademark Office has resulted in increased workloads that may have also caused an increasing number of examiners to leave, putting the long-term effort to further reduce the backlog at risk, the Government Accountability Office warned in a report Thursday.Recent progress on reducing the unexamined patent application backlog at the US Patent and Trademark Office could contribute to examiner attrition from increased workloads, putting the long-term effort to further reduce the backlog at risk, the Government Accountability Office warned in a report Thursday....
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