President Clinton Nominates Todd Dickinson to Top PTO Post

President Clinton today announced his July 1, 1999 nomination of Q. Todd Dickinson as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks.

"I am extremely honored that the President has asked me to serve in this important position. The American intellectual property protection system plays a vital role in the economy. I am proud to be part of an administration that has spurred the longest economic expansion in this nation's history."

Dickinson has been serving in the job in an acting capacity since January 1, 1999, and is Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Deputy Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks.

The President's announcement follows:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Clarksdale, Mississippi)

For Immediate Release July 6,1999

PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES Q. TODD DICKINSON AS ASSISTANT SECRETARY AND COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

The President today announced the nomination of Q. Todd Dickinson to serve as Assistant Secretary and Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks at the Department of Commerce.

Mr. Q. Todd Dickinson, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been serving in an acting capacity since January 1, 1999, and is Deputy Assistant Secretary and Deputy Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks.

Prior to joining the Patent and Trademark Office, Mr. Dickinson served as counsel with the Philadelphia-base law firm of Dechert, Price and Rhoads, and was Chief Counsel for Intellectual Property and Technology at Sun Company, Inc. He has more than twenty years of expertise in all aspects of intellectual property law and management, and has represented individual inventors, educational institutions, small businesses and corporate clients in a wide range of disciplines.

Mr. Dickinson earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Allegheny College, and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

The Assistant Secretary and Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks is responsible for maintaining and developing the patent and trademark system of the United States, and for proposing policy and programmatic changes in the system to the President, the Secretary of Commerce and the Congress. He also advocates for increased protection of the intellectual property rights of U.S. citizens throughout the world.

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