USPTO announces new Public Advisory Committee members

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) welcomes two new members of the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC), Judge Susan Braden and Daniel Brown, and three new members of the Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC), David Cho, Tracy Deutmeyer, and Jomarie Fredericks. Additionally, Steven Caltrider, who was previously appointed to complete the term of a retiring member, was reappointed to the PPAC for his first full term.

Judge Braden is a former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims. Judge Braden has also served on the Judges Special Committee of the American Intellectual Property Law Association and as President of the Giles S. Rich American Inn of Court. Dr. Brown is an award-winning designer, independent inventor, entrepreneur, and professor at the Segal Design Institute–Northwestern University. Dr. Brown holds approximately 100 U.S. and international patents and has founded multiple companies.

Mr. Cho is the Assistant Vice President Senior Legal Counsel–Trademarks and Copyrights at AT&T. Earlier in his career, Mr. Cho was a trademark examining attorney at the USPTO. Ms. Deutmeyer practices trademark law at Fredrikson & Byron. Ms. Deutmyer is also a leader in the American Bar Association’s Section of Intellectual Property Law. Ms. Fredericks is the Deputy General Counsel and Chief Intellectual Property and Brand Counsel at Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation. Ms. Fredericks is also the 2020 Vice President of the International Trademark Association (INTA) Board of Directors.

In addition to adding new members, Julie Mar-Spinola will continue to serve as PPAC’s Chair, and Steven Caltrider will serve as PPAC’s new Vice Chair. Christopher Kelly will serve as TPAC’s new Chair, and Susan Natland will serve as TPAC’s new Vice Chair.

There are five other returning PPAC members: Jennifer Camacho, Barney Cassidy, Jeremiah Chan, Tracy Durkin, and Jeff Sears. There are four other returning TPAC members: Stephanie Bald, Jennifer Kovalcik, Tricia Thompkins, and Kelly Walton.

Finally, the USPTO thanks former PPAC members Mark Goodson and Dan Lang, and former TPAC members Elizabeth Roth Escobar, Anne Gilson LaLonde, and Donna A. Tobin, who have just completed their terms, for their years of outstanding service to the USPTO and to the committees.

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. 

PPAC public sessions for 2021 have been scheduled for February 11, May 6, August 5, and November 18. TPAC public sessions for 2021 have not been finalized as of this announcement.