PATENT LAW BLOG USPTO to Open First Ever Satellite Office in Detroit Filed

Patent examiner hiring for the USPTO's new Detroit satellite office is slated to begin in the spring of 2011 with more than 100 new positions expected to be filled in the year. If you are interested in working in the Detroit office, look for official job vacancy announcements to be released in the spring. All details on the vacancies, job requirements, experience needed, and how to apply will be included in the vacancy announcements.

While the vacancy announcements will be posted on the usptocareers.gov website, the USPTO is making it easier for interested people to receive news about the hiring by email. If you wish to be alerted to any important announcements about hiring for the new office or have questions, send an email to DetroitHiring@uspto.gov. Your email address will be added to our database and we will send news and updates about the hiring process for the Detroit satellite office to you. This email box has been created as a means to answer questions specific to our Detroit hiring and to send news about it to the public. You do not have to submit your email to us to be eligible for a position.

Plans for the Detroit office were initially announced in December 2010 by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office David Kappos.

The office represents the first phase of the USPTO's Nationwide Workforce Program, an effort to hire more patent examiners and seek out additional resources and technical expertise in locations across the country. A specific location and anticipated opening date for the new Detroit office will be announced in the coming months. The USPTO is working closely with the Commerce Department's CommerceConnect facility in Pontiac, Mich.

The USPTO considered a broad range of factors in its decision to locate the new satellite office in Detroit. The city fulfilled a number of critical criteria, including having a high percentage of scientists and engineers in the workforce; providing access to major research institutions, particularly leading universities; and supporting a high volume of patenting activity and significant numbers of patent agents and attorneys in the area.

As the USPTO explores expansion into other areas of the country, the agency will continue to engage with employees and stakeholders to determine the most effective use of satellite offices as centers of applicant and public engagement, as well as the most efficient distribution of human resources.