Patent examiners may choose to perform their duties throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.
As a U.S. patent examiner, you will use your specialized background to review applications to determine whether patents can be granted for inventions. Patents give inventors the right to exclude others from making or selling their inventions for a limited time. That means that patent examiners are critical to protecting American innovation!
As a Design Patent Examiner, you will spend your time:
- Performing work in the examination of applications for United States patents pertaining to the form, appearance, and ornamentation of articles of manufacture.
- Uses professional knowledge of designs and practices to evaluate the invention claimed in each patent application.
- Uses a broad knowledge of past and current developments in design to uncover previous inventions, as represented by domestic and foreign patents, supply catalogs, style books, etc., that affect the novelty claimed in the application.
- Uses well developed visual aptitude, specialized knowledge of patent laws, rules, regulations and procedures to determine whether the application and its claimed invention meet all legal requirements for the granting of design patents.
New patent examiners receive top-notch training during the first months on the job that will give you the tools you need to be successful in your role.
At the GS-7 level, you will perform basic patent examining functions with extensive instructions from the supervisor. You will receive months of valuable training that will help you do your job well. This training will develop the ability to apply technical concepts to the patent examining. Your assignments will pair performance of productive work with supervised on-the-job training.
Almost all of a patent examiner's work is performed using a computer and is visually demanding.
Note: If you are a student who will be graduating soon, you can still apply! Applications will be accepted from students who expect to complete their qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. The USPTO requires verification of successful completion before your start date.
