The Rocky Mountain Regional Office of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) officially opened in 2014 in the Byron G. Rogers Federal Building in downtown Denver, Colorado. This office was opened to serve the Rocky Mountain region, including Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. Sadly, the office focuses primarily on patents and consumer education, rather than trademarks. Most trademark work is currently conducted electronically through the U.S Patent and Trademark Office website, and by phone with Examining Attorneys at the PTO. Even the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board conduct most proceedings virtually/electronically. This movement towards a paperless, virtual office is part of the Federal government’s move towards efficiency, and seems to be working!
The Rocky Mountain PTO provides outreach services for inventors, entrepreneurs, startups, researchers, and others, including conducting workshops, training, conferences, and round tables designed for various experience levels. I noticed they have upcoming seminars on Leveraging Intellectual Property for Business Success — sounds valuable to entrepreneurs in Denver and surrounding areas!
Photo by Colin Dewar on Shutterstock