The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that Andrei Iancu began his first official day as under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the USPTO. Mr. Iancu, who was nominated by President Trump last August, was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on Monday, February 5. In his new role, Mr. Iancu will provide leadership and oversight to one of the largest intellectual property offices in the world, with more than 12,000 employees and an annual budget of over $3 billion. Mr. Iancu will also serve as the principal advisor to the president, through the secretary of commerce, on domestic and international intellectual property policy matters.

“Andrei’s diverse intellectual property background and leadership will prove invaluable to the USPTO's efforts to bolster economic growth and promote American innovation,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “I look forward to working with Andrei and the rest of the USPTO team.”

Read the press release to learn more.

As the director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity (OEEOD) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, I provide strategic direction and guidance in carrying out the agency’s equal employment opportunity and civil rights initiatives.

In June, I will celebrate a decade as the director of OEEOD. Among my most proud accomplishments is the organizational transformation of a small civil rights office nestled within the agency’s administrative directorate to a new Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity. Through this organizational transformation, I became the principal advisor to the under secretary and director of the USPTO on equal employment opportunity, reasonable accommodation, civil rights compliance, and diversity strategies. 

Read the blog by the Department of Commerce.

Patent Quality Chat: eMod Update, Patent Center, and Structured Text

Deputy Commissioner for Patent Quality Valencia Martin Wallace held the second Patent Quality Chat in the 2018 webinar series on February 13, titled “eMod Update, Patent Center, and Structured Text.”

USPTO speakers eMod Project Manager Richard Fernandez and Communications Manager for eCommerce Lisa Tran discussed eCommerce modernization, or eMod, and improving the electronic patent application process by modernizing its filing and viewing systems. At this event, the eMod team discussed new structured text features, including the ability to file structured text via the electronic filing system (EFS-Web) and access structured text submissions, structured text office actions, and XML downloads via the Private Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Additionally, the eMod team shared information about the upcoming Patent Center beta release for participants to use the new Patent Center tool and provide feedback for further improvements.

Patent Quality Chat is a monthly lunchtime webinar series that provides information on patent quality topics and gathers public input.

To learn more about the February Patent Quality Chat, watch the archived livestream or view the presentation slides. 

The most recent Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC), was held at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, on February 1. PPAC reviews the policies, goals, performance, budget, and user fees of patent operations and advises the USPTO director on these matters.

To learn more, view the presentation slides.

The Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC) was held at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, on February 9. TPAC reviews the policies, goals, performance, budget, and user fees of the USPTO with respect to trademarks, and advises the USPTO director on these matters.

To learn more, view the presentation slides.

“New Patent Office Director Calls for Predictable IP Protection”
Malathi Nayak, BloombergBNA

“U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Unveiling New Patent Design at SXSW”
John Krause, SXSW

“Want to patent your invention? Here's what you need to know”
Peter Balonon-Rosen and Lizzie O'Leary, Marketplace

“Let Curiosity Drive You: An Evening With Steve Sasson”
Allie Bidwell, NSTMF

“USPTO Issues Memo Clarifying Written Description Guidance”
Donald Zuhn, Patent Docs

“USPTO sings Valentine’s Day ode to IP”
Tom Temin, Federal News Radio