Washington – The Commerce Department’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), in conjunction with the USPTO-Patent Public Advisory Committee joint task force on quality, is conducting two roundtables to obtain input from organizations and individuals on actions that can improve patent quality and the metrics to be used to measure quality. The roundtables, which will be held in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 10 and Alexandria, Va., on May 18, are open to the public. “Quality patents are critical to the proper functioning of the patent system, and issuing high quality patents is a top priority for the USPTO,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO David Kappos. “Quality issuances provide certainty in the market and allow businesses and innovators to make informed and timely decisions on product and service development.”