Patent Office Shows Record Backlog

acroyear writes "WTOP, 1500am, a news radio station in the DC area, is reporting that the Patent Office Is Seeing Record Backlog, with 2 years for a patent now, and potentially 4 years to wait by decade's end, and the PTO is considering a 15% increase in filing fees. Personally, I think if they had set a trend of actually rejecting patents that don't belong, they'd have sent enough of a message to keep application numbers to a reasonable level; right now, everybody files because just about everything can get one."

DAMMIT *I* INVENTED THE RECORD BACKLOG!!!

[corebreech]

Those bastards!

What kind of ads to they use

[Anonymous Coward]

Got fired from your rebate handling job [slashdot.org] because you were too slow processing applications? Fear no more! Get a job at the patent office!

Patent #45560986

[A Guy From Ottawa]

For their sake I hope they don't let it get to the 4year mark...

Patent #45560986 Granted to Guy F. Ottawa on April 1, 1999.

Description:
The process of providing a service to individuals (or businesses) who's end result is not conveyed for 4 years (1460 Days).

I have the answer

[AssFace]

I filed an elegant and cost saving answer to the solution - but I want to make sure it is patented... they said it should get through in only 3 years.
I feel like I'm helping.