IP Watchdog is reporting that the United States Patent and Trademark Office plans to open a regional office in Detroit, Michigan next year. According to the report, the agency’s goal is to employ 100 patent examiners in the Detroit office by summer 2011. More details are available from the IP Watchdog website.
UPDATE: In an April 21, 2011 message, USPTO Director David Kappos announced that plans for the Detroit satellite office would be tabled due to congressional appropriations cuts for the USPTO.
IP Spotlight 
While I understand at least some of the reasons for the choice of locale, I had hoped that the USPTO would open its first satellite patent law office in a location that I might actually want to visit or live — Southern California, for instance. However, hopefully the USPTO’s selection of Detroit will help improve that city’s economy, in addition to increasing efficiency at the USPTO and taking a bite out of its infamous backlog.