Teresa Stanek Rea Announces Her Departure From the PTO

Acting USPTO Director Teresa “Terry” Rea has announced that she will leave the PTO after a new Director is selected. She will probably complete two years in the position, which has been affected by the sequestration of funding, a backlog of applications that is still daunting, and the need for even more Examiners capable of applying ever-changing standards of patentability to evolving technologies. Terry has served the IP community capably for years, particularly in her various roles in the AIPLA, where she became the first woman with a background in life sciences patent law to serve as President. Apart from wondering who would want her current job, I certainly wish her well, and am curious to see what the future will bring her way.