CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION ADVOCATES FOR PATENT OFFICE TO LOCATE SATELLITE OFFICE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter to the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Reps. Charles Bass (R-NH) and Frank Guinta (R-NH), urged the agency to consider New Hampshire as a location for a new satellite office.  The Patent and Trademark Office, which is the federal agency responsible for issuing patents, currently is in the process of evaluating options for two additional satellite offices by 2014.  As the field of intellectual property continues to flourish, patent applications and user-generated fees fund satellite offices at no cost to the taxpayer.

In the letter to Director David Kappos, the delegation members highlighted New Hampshire’s unique advantages that make it an ideal location. 

“We firmly believe that the rich intellectual property field of our home state, combined with a low cost-of-living and high quality of life, makes New Hampshire an ideal location for this new office,” the delegation members wrote.  “Our economy is growing, our job market is vibrant and competitive, our workforce is among the most educated in the nation, and our universities offer top intellectual property resources.”

DELEGATION LETTER TO DIRECTOR KAPPOS:

Dear Director Kappos:

We write to request your consideration of the State of New Hampshire for the placement of a new U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) satellite location. 

We firmly believe that the rich intellectual property (IP) field of our home state, combined with a low cost-of-living and high quality of life, makes New Hampshire an ideal location for this new office.  The University of New Hampshire School of Law has a world-renowned IP program and is one of only two top 10 IP law schools located outside of a major urban area.  The school recently launched the nation’s first ever Patent Prosecution Program, runs an IP Amicus Clinic, and just built the Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property to house its various IP programs.  These resources present a unique opportunity to build mutually beneficial relationships between the university and your satellite office.

UNH consistently attracts a disproportionately high number of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduate students, patent examiners, patent agents and numerous others hoping to make a career in the flourishing Intellectual Property field.  New Hampshire ranks among the highest nationwide in patents per capita, and over 150 registered patent attorneys and patent agents reside in our state, demonstrating the vibrancy of the IP field here.

Furthermore, the New Hampshire Federal District Court is an important court in patent law and continues to be a leading forum for IP cases.  Additionally, our state, while boasting a high per capita rate of in-state patent holders, is also easily accessible to the vibrant innovation communities in the Boston metropolitan region while offering home prices that on average are $200,000 less than in neighboring Massachusetts.

As you continue to evaluate options for opening a new satellite office, we encourage your careful consideration of New Hampshire.  Our economy is growing, our job market is vibrant and competitive, our workforce is among the most educated in the nation and our universities offer top IP resources.  Thank you for your consideration of our request.