As the chief executive of the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, Kathi Vidal leads one of the largest intellectual property (IP) offices in the world and is the principal IP advisor to the President on incentivizing and protecting U.S. innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity. USPTO’s mission is to help American workers and businesses compete and collaborate, especially in ground-breaking technologies and across all demographics. Director Vidal has spent her career championing the importance of mentoring and expanding opportunities to include more individuals from underserved communities. She has been involved on boards and in committees focused on diversity and inclusion, and has mentored diverse women across the globe as part of the Fortune-U.S. Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership program. She builds on that work today. As Director of the USPTO, Vidal is working to expand American innovation for and from all, and to bring more ideas to impact, including serving as the Vice Chair of the Council for Inclusive Innovation (CI2)[https://www.uspto.gov/initiatives/equity/ci2], serving as a Co-Chair of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) [https://www.eda.gov/strategic-initiatives/national-advisory-council-on-innovation-and-entrepreneurship], launching the Empowering Women’s Entrepreneurship initiative [https://www.uspto.gov/initiatives/we], and expanding USPTO’s Pro Bono services for independent inventors and small businesses.
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Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property转发了
Patent fees will increase effective Jan. 19. These fee adjustments will provide sufficient funding to effectively administer the U.S. patent system & continue making progress toward achieving strategic goals, including reducing patent pendency. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3ATYIlD
Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property转发了
This National Entrepreneurs Day, we're celebrating the startups and individuals that are the life blood of the American innovation ecosystem! To achieve our goal of helping ALL make their dream a reality, we have developed a new no-cost, on-demand, 2-hour Startup Certification Course that covers IP protection, cybersecurity, and funding to make sure innovators have the information they need to secure their IP and to scale their business. “Intellectual property, whether an invention, design, or brand, is a new business’ most valuable asset. And USPTO is here to help get it protected,” said Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property. “But many startup founders and investors we’ve talked with said there was a lack of information, and more importantly time, to focus on IP protection. So that’s where USPTO stepped in to create this new resource specifically with the needs – and limitations – of founders in mind.” Start building a stronger future with this free resource ?? https://bit.ly/40VNac5
USPTO one of two government agencies named Top 25 Veteran Employers for 2025! "The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is dedicated to supporting veterans and military spouses, with flexible telework options being one of the most valued benefits: 85% of employees work fully remotely and 97% partially remotely. The agency’s robust veteran and military spouse hiring program is complemented by a 280+ member military association, which offers mentorship, career growth opportunities and a sense of community. The agency also hosts panels and summits on topics such as PTSD, Hispanics in the military and service branch celebrations and organizes annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day programming. Weekly virtual "coffee chats" further foster connections among veteran employees. Beyond internal support, the agency partners with several veteran and military spouse organizations and participates in key conferences, including the Military Influencer Conference, Wounded Warrior Project and the Military Spouse Employment Partnership." Elizabeth Caraway Fred Steckler Cara Duckworth Jack Fleming Christy Whitaker Eric Atkisson Shirin Bidel-Niyat Derrick Brent Carlos G. Robin Hylton Bismarck Myrick Lari Washington Carolyn Schad
Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property转发了
Daniel Modricker has been appointed to serve as Director of the USPTO’s new Northern New England Community Outreach Office. As the Community Outreach Office Director, Modricker will carry out the strategic direction of the agency’s Office of Public Engagement (OPE) and ensure the agency’s initiatives and programs are tailored to the area’s unique ecosystem of industries and stakeholders. The office is part of the agency’s effort to expand the nation’s innovation ecosystem and serve and grow the area’s nearly 800 patent holders and about 5,000 trademark registrants fueling local industries and economies. Modricker joins the USPTO from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), where he oversaw the Partnership Engagement and Exercise Team across New England to strengthen relationships at the local level with partners in law enforcement, government, community groups, academia, and the private sector.
How can you protect your investments in startups? We developed a free, on-demand, 2-hour certification course for you. Happy @NationalEntrepreneurshipDay (Tuesday)! Link to course: ?https://lnkd.in/eKbSjaET
Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property转发了
From women to rural communities to veterans, USPTO Director Kathi Vidal has founded major new initiatives to open up the innovation ecosystem and bring more people to the table.? ? Learn more about USPTO outreach efforts and programs near you or how to bring USPTO to your community by connecting with our Office of Public Engagement: https://bit.ly/3AvnY1r
Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property转发了
We have announced that we will be increasing trademark fees, effective January 18, 2025 as part of our regular fee adjustment process. These fee adjustments will provide us with sufficient funding to effectively administer the U.S. trademark registration system and continue making progress toward achieving our strategic goals, including reducing trademark pendency and fighting trademark scams. Learn more: https://bit.ly/40LcOQZ
Moments ago I announced to my friends and colleagues at the USPTO that it is time for me to turn the reins over to Deputy Director Derrick Brent, who has worked alongside me every step of the way. My last day at the USPTO will be in the second week of December. I'm sharing my communication with the USPTO here. Thank you all for the work you have done to support the USPTO and our mission to drive U.S. innovation, inclusive capitalism, and global competitiveness for the benefit of all Americans. Even though I will be moving on in the next few weeks, I am committed to finding new ways to work alongside and support you from the private sector. If you missed any of our accomplishments, you can find them here: https://lnkd.in/eZNXBaHh. And we are still pushing others across the finish line and setting up the agency for a peaceful and orderly transition. The American people deserve no less. With gratitude, Kathi
#ICYMI in addition to sending out Welcome Letters to those who apply for a U.S. Patent, we also send this letter when applicants receive an office action encouraging them to persist! Both our Welcome Letters and this letter meet applicants where they are to provide them encouragement and support. We do the same for trademarks applicants.
Much of the key work we do at USPTO is international, creating a strong IP ecosystem for U.S. companies and those of our allies. Today, while we celebrate Veterans Day, we are in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia gathering with 900-some participants for the World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO Diplomatic Conference to Conclude a Design Law Treaty.