The US Patent and Trademark Office closed its headquarters Friday and told its staff to work remotely as it updates safety measures in response to the expected release of a former employee from police custody, which is now scheduled for next week.
The PTO, part of the US Commerce Department, circulated the name and photograph of a former patent examiner, who it said has made violent threats against agency workers, in a security alert email sent Thursday afternoon and reviewed by Bloomberg Law. It directed staff at its Alexandria, Va. office to telework on Friday, the day he was expected ...