Biotechnology: Backlog of Patent Applications

In response to a congressional request, GAO examined the Patent and Trademark Office's (PTO) backlog of unprocessed biotechnology patent applications, focusing on: (1) PTO efforts to streamline the backlog; (2) the level of technical scrutiny required for biotechnology applications compared to other applications; (3) PTO ability to attract and retain qualified examiners; (4) the waiting period for biotechnology applications compared with that for other applications; (5) causes of biotechnology patent application delays; and (6) whether foreign applicants attempted to overwhelm the patent system with applications.