POPA hosted a meeting recently with leaders of the unions that represent patent examiners in the European and Canadian Patent Offices. During several days of meetings with representatives from POPA, the Central Staff Committee of the European Patent Office (CSC-EPO) and the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), union leaders discussed similarities and differences among their patent practices and exchanged ideas for solving problems common to all. The EPO is considering a production-based system similar to the USPTO’s, which raises quality concerns for the EPO examiners. USPTO Director Jon Dudas welcomed the visiting delegation at the beginning of the meeting and took time to share ideas and answer questions from meeting participants.
Seated, L to R: Edward Daintith, Chair, CSC-EPO; Jon Dudas, Director, USPTO; Robert Budens, President, POPA; Gaétan Provencher, Steward, PIPSC;
Standing, L to R: Howard Locker, Secretary, POPA; Randy Myers, Treasurer, POPA; Christian Schaeffler, Secretary, CSC-EPO; Larry Oresky, Vice President, POPA; Elizabeth Hardon, Member, CSC-EPO; Jesús Areso, Member, CSC-EPO; Pam Schwartz, Asst. Secretary, POPA.