Skip to main content

Jump to main content

USPTO - United States Patent and Trademark Office
United States Patent and Trademark Office - An Agency of the Department of Commerce

  • Search

  • Find it Fast Links

  • Menu

User account menu

  • About Us
  • Jobs
  • Contact Us
  • MyUSPTO

Main navigation

USPTO
  • Patents
    • Getting started
    • Patent basics
    • Process overview
    • Legal assistance and resources
    • Inventor and entrepreneur resources
    • International cooperation
    • Patent FAQs
    • Application process
    • Search for patents
    • Learn about patent classification
    • Filing online
    • Checking application status
    • Responding to Office actions
    • Petitions
    • Patent Trial and Appeal Board
    • Maintaining a patent
    • Maintenance fees
    • Correcting your patent
    • Transferring ownership
    • Ordering certified documents
    • Tools & links
    • About EFS-Web

      File a patent application online with EFS-web

    • Patent Center

      Try the beta replacement for EFS-Web, Private PAIR and Public PAIR

    • Check application status

      Check patent application status with public PAIR and private PAIR

    • Fees and payment

      Pay maintenance fees and learn more about filing fees and other payments

    • Patent Trial & Appeal Board

      Resolve disputes regarding patents with PTAB

    • Global Dossier

      View international patent filings

    • More tools & links
  • Trademarks
    • Getting started
    • Trademark basics
    • Process overview
    • Trademark FAQs
    • Hiring a U.S.-licensed attorney
    • Madrid Protocol & international protection
    • Scam awareness
    • Application process
    • Searching trademarks
    • Apply online
    • Disclosure of public information
    • Checking application status & viewing documents
    • Responding to Office actions
    • Abandoned applications
    • Ordering certified documents
    • Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
    • Maintaining a trademark registration
    • Keeping your registration alive
    • Forms to file
    • Checking registration status & viewing documents
    • Enforcing your trademark rights/trademark litigation
    • Transferring ownership
    • Tools & links
    • Apply online (TEAS)

      File a trademark application and other documents online through TEAS.

    • Check application status (TSDR)

      Check trademark application status and view all documents associated with an application/registration.

    • Trademark fees

      Trademark fees and payment

    • Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
    • More tools & links
  • IP Policy
    • IP policy
    • Patent policy
    • Industrial design policy
    • Trademark policy
    • Copyright policy
    • Enforcement policy
    • Trade secret policy
    • International affairs
    • IP Attaché Program
    • China IP
    • IPR toolkits
    • International intergovernmental organizations
    • IP research and training
    • Economic research
    • Global Intellectual Property Academy
    • Tools & links
    • Legislative resources

      Learn about our current legislative initiatives.

    • IPR toolkits

      Find out how to protect intellectual property in other countries.

    • IP policy events

      Find upcoming programs related to IP policy and international affairs

    • More tools & links
  • Learning and Resources
    • Resources by audience
    • Attorneys, agents & paralegals
    • Inventors & entrepreneurs
    • Kids & educators
    • Media
    • Researchers & librarians
    • Patent & trademark practitioners
    • Help by topic
    • Fees and payment
    • General FAQs
    • Patents FAQs
    • Trademark FAQs
    • Transferring ownership / Assignments help
    • Services & publications
    • Open data & mobility
    • Federal Register Notices
    • Official Gazette
    • Support centers
    • XML resources
    • Classification
    • Tools & links
    • Operational status
    • Events
    • Guidance documents
    • Glossary of terms
    • Subscriptions
    • How-to videos
    • IP programs and awards
    • Statistics
    • More tools & links

Mobile main menu

  • Patents
    • Back
    • Getting started
      • Back
      • Patent basics
      • Process overview
      • Legal assistance and resources
      • Inventor and entrepreneur resources
      • International cooperation
      • Patent FAQs
    • Application process
      • Back
      • Search for patents
      • Learn about patent classification
      • Filing online
      • Checking application status
      • Responding to Office actions
      • Petitions
      • Patent Trial and Appeal Board
    • Maintaining a patent
      • Back
      • Maintenance fees
      • Correcting your patent
      • Transferring ownership
      • Ordering certified documents
    • More Patents
      • Back
      • Forms
      • Fees & payment information
      • Initiatives
      • Patents Announcements
      • Patents Ombudsman
      • Laws and Regulations
      • Contact Patents
      • Patent Technology Centers Management
    • Tools & links
      • Back
      • About EFS-Web
      • Patent Center
      • Check application status
      • Fees and payment
      • Patent Trial & Appeal Board
      • Global Dossier
      • More tools & links
  • Trademarks
    • Back
    • Getting started
      • Back
      • Trademark basics
      • Process overview
      • Trademark FAQs
      • Hiring a U.S.-licensed attorney
      • Madrid Protocol & international protection
      • Scam awareness
    • Application process
      • Back
      • Searching trademarks
      • Apply online
      • Disclosure of public information
      • Checking application status & viewing documents
      • Responding to Office actions
      • Abandoned applications
      • Ordering certified documents
      • Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
    • Maintaining a trademark registration
      • Back
      • Keeping your registration alive
      • Forms to file
      • Checking registration status & viewing documents
      • Enforcing your trademark rights/trademark litigation
      • Transferring ownership
    • More Trademarks
      • Back
      • Trademark Updates and Announcements
      • Laws & Regulations
      • Fees & payment information
      • Guides, Manuals, and Resources
      • Sound Marks
      • Transferring Ownership / Assignments
      • Documents for prosecutors
      • Trademark Timelines
      • Contact Trademarks
    • Tools & links
      • Back
      • Apply online (TEAS)
      • Check application status (TSDR)
      • Trademark fees
      • Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
      • More tools & links
  • IP Policy
    • Back
    • IP policy
      • Back
      • Patent policy
      • Industrial design policy
      • Trademark policy
      • Copyright policy
      • Enforcement policy
      • Trade secret policy
    • International affairs
      • Back
      • IP Attaché Program
      • China IP
      • IPR toolkits
      • International intergovernmental organizations
    • IP research and training
      • Back
      • Economic research
      • Global Intellectual Property Academy
    • Tools & links
      • Back
      • Legislative resources
      • IPR toolkits
      • IP policy events
      • More tools & links
  • Learning and Resources
    • Back
    • Resources by audience
      • Back
      • Attorneys, agents & paralegals
      • Inventors & entrepreneurs
      • Kids & educators
      • Media
      • Researchers & librarians
      • Patent & trademark practitioners
    • Help by topic
      • Back
      • Fees and payment
      • General FAQs
      • Patents FAQs
      • Trademark FAQs
      • Transferring ownership / Assignments help
    • Services & publications
      • Back
      • Open data & mobility
      • Federal Register Notices
      • Official Gazette
      • Support centers
      • XML resources
      • More Patent and Trademark Services
      • Classification
    • Tools & links
      • Back
      • Operational status
      • Events
      • Guidance documents
      • Glossary of terms
      • Subscriptions
      • How-to videos
      • IP programs and awards
      • Statistics
      • More tools & links
    • More Learning and Resources
      • Back
      • Examiner Training Materials
      • Educational Resources
      • IP Programs and Awards
      • Training for Public Users
      • Order Print Publications
      • Other Web Resources
      • Statistics
  • About Us
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Inclusive innovation
    • Performance and Planning
    • USPTO Locations
    • Vendor Information
  • Jobs
  • Contact Us
  • MyUSPTO
 Find It Fast 
Patents
Patent Public Search
PatFT
AppFT
Patent search
Patent Center
EFS-Web
Forms
Patent filing
Patent Center
Private PAIR
Public PAIR
Global Dossier
Filing status
Pay maintenance fees
Pay or look up maintenance fees
PTAB
Patent Trial and Appeal Board
Search assignment
Record assignment
Search recorded assignment and record ownership changes
MPEP
Classification
Guides and manuals
Trademarks
TESS
Search trademark database
TEAS
Forms
Trademark filing
TSDR
Status, documents, and certificates
TTAB
ESTTA
TTABVUE
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
Search assignment
Record assignment
Search recorded assignment and record ownership changes
TMEP
ID Manual
TMOG
TBMP
Guides and manuals
Trademark processing wait times
Current and target wait times
Fees and Payment
Fee schedule and payment information
Systems status
Current and planned system outages

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. About Us
  3. Engage with the Director
   Share |    Print

Engage with the Director

Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), is the principal intellectual property advisor to the President and the Administration, through the Secretary of Commerce, and is focused on incentivizing and protecting U.S. innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity. This page shares information on ways to connect with Director Vidal and opportunities to learn about the USPTO's regional offices, outreach efforts, and other important initiatives.

The Office of the Under Secretary and Director (OUS) supports the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. The OUS oversees all the USPTO's business units, the Patent and Trademark Public Advisory Committees, and four regional offices throughout the United States.

Portrait of Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Public Advisory Committees

  • Patent Public Advisory Committee
  • Trademark Public Advisory Committee

Director's initiatives

  • Council for Inclusive Innovation
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Inclusive innovation

Opportunities to connect

  • Request a listening session
  • Submit a speaking request

Find out more

USPTO locations
Strategic Plan
Status of PTAB Director review requests
Interim process for PTAB Director review
USPTO COVID-19 Response Resource Center
silhouette of a face in profile against a dark background with bright yellow lines branching out.
Director's blog
Incentivizing and protecting innovation in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies
Kathi Vidal speaking at a podium in front of the flags.
Remarks
Read transcripts from recent speaking engagements
Rothblatt and the team at United Therapeutics’ Organ Manufacturing Group, holding a 3D printed lung
Director's blog
Celebrating LGBTQ+ Inventors and Entrepreneurs
Person holding a globe in their hands, standing outside
Director's blog
Doing our part to mitigate climate change: fast-tracking green innovations
  • Events
  • News
Jul 29, 2022
Trademark Public Advisory Committee quarterly meeting
Nov 4, 2022
Trademark Public Advisory Committee quarterly meeting
  More events
USPTO seeks nominations for Patent and Trademark Advisory Committees
The USPTO is seeking nominations to fill up to three upcoming vacancies for the Patent Public Advisory Committee
USPTO advances inclusive innovation with new web resource
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today published a new webpage to broaden participation in innovation.
  Subscribe   More news

Skip footer and go to main content

USPTO - United States Patent and Trademark Office

Browse By Topic

  • Patents
  • Trademarks
  • Learning & Resources
  • About the USPTO
  • Jobs
  • Contact Us

About this Site

  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Security
  • Systems Status

USPTO Background

  • Performance and Planning
  • Freedom of Information Act
  • Information Quality Guidelines

Federal Government

  • Regulations.gov
  • StopFakes.gov
  • USA.gov
  • Department of Commerce
  • Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy
Subscribe to updates

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Submit feedback about this page to Office of the Under Secretary. Published on: Jun 13, 2022 12:00 PM EDT Last Modified: Jun 27, 2022 12:22 PM EDT
Back to top
Have a comment about the web page you were viewing?


We may have questions about your feedback, please provide your email address.


For other assistance, please see our contact us page.