Patent and Trademark Office

by Timothy P. O’Neill (tim_oneill@merlin.telcom.arizona.edu)

Here’s an outline of a new corp. I figured in a world where information is power, the authority over who gets to use which information would be an interesting addition to play. Possible uses: PTO tries to stop your small-time drug synthesizing enterprize on behalf of a major pharmaceuticals researcher; team hired to destroy records at PTO during corp war over patent rights; party racing to patent a new product before bad guys steal it and patent it themselves, etc.

Shortly before the fall of the U.S., It was decided to privatize most functions of the PTO. The databases improved as people began to be charged for their use. Firms claiming patent violations in court had to pay the new PTO to provide the data to back them up. New patents and copyrights had an accompanying fee. After the fall, the PTO began to take on the enforcement role as well. Initially bolstered by a large capital outlay from a consortium of interested corporations, the concentration of capital has been diluted over time. The PTO works for client companies. All the same, like NetWatch, it’s almost universal. Competing companies pay their dues, even while trying to skirt the rules of the Office.

1st Division - Licensing/Enforcement

Position	Staff Count
Lawyers/Corps	1000
Arbitrators	1000
Techies	1000
Netrunners	500
Soldiers/Cops	10000
Misc. Staff	6000
Total staff	19500

2nd Division - Patent Exploitation

Position	Staff Count
Corps	1000
Techies	200
Netrunners	100
Soldiers/Cops	1000
Misc. Staff	2000
Total staff	4300

On-call Researchers: 5000 They have compiled the records from all trademark offices around the world. In order for any new patent to be enforced, the holder must register it with the PTO, which must then approve it. After this point, the PTO guarantees to prevent violation of the patent, with a staff of arbitrators to decide whether there has been a violation.

If you do not register your patent with the PTO, you are responsible for defending it yourself, including preventing someone else from registering it.

Payment to the PTO is based on the number of patents held, the types of restriction required, the length of protection service, and the revenue that each patent brings in. The PTO offers two payment options:

An exorbitant one-time fee, based upon their estimate of the value and enforcement challenges of a particular patent. This guarantees protection for the entire term desired.
An annual contract, from which a percentage of the profits from a particular patent are paid to the PTO. Under this plan, the customer signs a contract to the effect that, if ever they fail to pay, patent rights revert to the PTO itself.

The PTO makes a good percentage of its money licensing rights to patents that have been acquired from delinquent customers.

Any modification suggestions are very welcome.

In addition, I thought it might be fun to do similar work-ups for other regulatory agencies gone private. Securities and Exchange Commision? Food and Drug Administration?