DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) is honored to welcome the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Rocky Mountain Regional Satellite Office and Russell Slifer, its new director, to Denver at today’s historic grand opening of the new facility. The announcement is made by CBSA President & CEO April Giles, who says, “Bioscience companies in Colorado depend on access to a high quality, efficient patent office; and having patent agents right in our back yard will provide for a better interface, as well as efficient and engaged interactions, in the future.”
Director Slifer, an intellectual property lawyer, has served as chief patent counsel for Boise, Idaho-based Micron Technology for the past eight years. He also was a design engineer for Honeywell and spent more than nine years in private legal practice in Minnesota helping high-technology clients.
As background, in September 2011, U.S. Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet worked to pass the America Invents Act, which allowed for the creation of three new satellite offices for the USPTO. This effort in turn led to the establishment of the Denver office, which according to Giles, should make the patent process more effective and affordable for smaller entities in the region; relieve the logjam of patents awaiting approval; and, result in patent litigation being less imposing and more predictable.
As the state’s trade association representing more than 600 pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, diagnostics, and ag-bio companies; CBSA joined the local campaign effort for a UPPTO Satellite Office in Denver in January of 2012. The industry saw the crucial need for having patents and protected intellectual property services based right in the area.
The bioscience industry plays a key role in Colorado’s Advance Industry clusters. Currently, the state employs 27,000 people in its bioscience companies, creating over 122,000 direct and indirect jobs, translating into over $10 billion in payroll.
“The bioscience industry in the state and region look forward to a collaborative relationship with the Rocky Mountain Regional Satellite Office in Denver going forward,” Giles stated.
About Colorado BioScience Association
CBSA is a not-for-profit organization providing services and support for Colorado's bioscience industry. With more than 350 members, CBSA actively works to promote the growth of the industry by advocating for a better business environment, growing the state's biotech workforce, fighting for policies that support a strong bioscience industry in the state, and speaking with a single voice on behalf of the industry. For more information, visit http://www.cobioscience.com.
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