Editorial

Colorado has made a strong case to land a new satellite office for the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. While the state is competing with California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Washington, we're encouraged by the solid effort put forth by Colorado political, government and business leaders.

A detailed package of support, titled “Accelerating Innovation: The Case for a Satellite Patent Office in Colorado, was delivered to Washington, D.C., Jan. 31. All nine members of the Colorado congressional delegation support the proposal, along with mayors, economic-development officials, university administrators, executives from high-tech companies and others. More than 50 letters of support were included, along with information on Colorado's key high-tech sectors.

“Locating in Colorado will put the USPTO at the center of one of the country's most vibrant clusters of innovation, technological development and economic growth,” Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said in a statement. “It's great to see Coloradans coalesce in support of bringing a patent office to the state.”

Supporters estimate that a patent office would generate $439 million in economic activity in its first five years, producing hundreds of direct and indirect jobs.

Detroit has already been selected as the location for the first satellite office, expected to open in July. Bennet helped secure an amendment to the America Invents Act authorizing the PTO to open at least three additional satellite operations over the next three years.

We strongly endorse the effort to bring the next office to Colorado. The state provides a number of advantages, including Denver International Airport, superb quality of life and one of the most entrepreneurial business climates in the world.

Supporters point to strengths in research, business creation, venture capital, federal laboratories and universities.

A satellite office would prove a boon to the state's innovation economy, much of which is centered in the Boulder Valley. High-tech companies would save enormous sums of money by not having to travel to Washington for their patent work, and a local operation should quicken the pace of innovation.

The bottom line: Colorado's solid effort to land the office should secure a stamp of approval: “Patent Pending.”