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New Satellite Patent Office To Open In Detroit

Detroit will be the first city in the United States to be home to a satellite U.S. Patent and Trademark office.

The office is expected to initially employ about 100 engineers, along with a smaller number of support and administrative personnel.

The first-of-its-kind regional office will help speed the processing of patent applications, helping Michigan companies and inventors market their innovations, according to Michigan U.S. lawmakers Carl Levin, Debbie Stabenow and John Dingell.

"Michigan's selection for the first regional satellite patent office speaks to the wealth of engineering talent and innovation in our state," Levin said in a statement.  "There was plenty of competition, from more than a dozen cities across the country, and this choice shows just how much respect there is nationally for the important and ground-breaking work that happens every day in Michigan."

"Not only does this create jobs, but it also speeds up the patent process for our companies," Stabenow said adding Michigan is third in the nation in clean energy patents.

Government officials say there are 710,000 patent applications pending and getting a review could take as long as three years.

A site for the new office has not been determined, but the government is hoping to open the office by February.

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