The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) “has...

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) “has never been better poised to effect positive change as it further fuels our nation’s innovation economy,” said PTO Deputy Director Michelle Lee in a speech Thursday. Lee is currently PTO’s acting leader, but is not officially its acting director because President Barack Obama has not yet named a nominee to permanently head the agency following former acting Director Teresa Rea’s departure. Lee noted in her speech at an American Intellectual Property Law Association event in Phoenix that the PTO is committed to “fostering a strong and balanced IP system,” AIPLA said in a news release. PTO released its proposed new rules for patent owners’ regular disclosure of a patent’s real-party-in-interest information in late January. PTO said in the Federal Register it will accept comments on the proposed rules through March 25 (http://1.usa.gov/1n5qjAq).