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To: sandeep who wrote (55789)	1/9/2001 1:33:35 PM
From: Ilaine	Respond to of 436258

I agree with you that forcing them to change before the technology is ready is a management problem. That's why management is offering them 10% to change over. It reminds me of the Postal Service, which also recently automated. I know quite a bit about the US Postal service because I've represented quite a number of USPS workers - the automation there is a lot more mechanical, requires far less brain power than examining patents, but I do see parallels. Management is probably hoping that the machines will make the workers more productive so eventually they can hire fewer employees. Plus it looks nifty and cool to say that the process has been modernized. Upper management are political appointees and know nothing of the business of examining patents. For my husband, the hard part isn't the searches, it's dealing with the patent attorneys. They get paid by the hour, and they don't get paid to give up, so they keep at it even after a claim has been rejected. But the Patent Examiners' productivity is judged per patent, so whether they spend forever fighting over a patent or have it go quickly it still counts the same. The lawyers know it and play "exhaust the examiner." So a lot of the examiners roll over and allow things that shouldn't be allowed just to keep up their quotas so they get the bonus. My husband hates lawyers. -ng- He knows a slew of lawyer jokes, but he knows better than to tell them to me. -g-