| The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) welcomes two new members to the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC): Jeremiah Chan and Tracy-Gene Durkin. Mr. Chan is the Associate General Counsel and Director, Head of Patents at Facebook. Ms. Durkin is the practice leader of the Mechanical & Design Practice Group at the law firm of Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C. In addition to the new members, the USPTO is pleased to announce that Julie Mar-Spinola, the former Vice Chair, will serve as PPAC Chair, and Jennifer Camacho will serve as PPAC Vice Chair. There are five other returning PPAC members: Steven Caltrider, Bernard Cassidy, Mark Goodson, Dan Lang, and Jeff Sears. Finally, the USPTO thanks Marylee Jenkins, former PPAC chair, and Bernie Knight, former PPAC member, who have completed their terms, for their years of outstanding service to the committee, the USPTO, and the public. PPAC public sessions for 2020 have been scheduled for February 6, May 7, August 13, and November 19. You can view the PPAC member biographies on the PPAC members biographical page of the USPTO website. The Public Advisory Committees for the USPTO were created through the Patent and Trademark Office Efficiency Act statute in the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999 to advise the Secretary of Commerce and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO on the management of patent and trademark operations. The Public Advisory Committees review the policies, goals, performance, budget, and user fees of the patent and trademark operations, respectively, and advise the director on these matters. Each committee has nine voting members who are appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Secretary of Commerce. Each member serves a three-year term. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment