The news could appear as a pleasant surprise for companies and stakeholders that are staying in Dallas, as the state is going to have its own patent office soon in an attempt to streamline the process of patenting and subsequently innovation. For the first time since it opened in 1790, the United States Patent and Trademark Office is expanding outside of Washington, D.C. The agency – which has a team of more than 8,000 patent examiners – has established regional offices in four cities across the United States.