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Thursday Mar 22, 2018

Greetings from Director Iancu

Blog by Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, Andrei Iancu

By the end of this week, I’ll have held the title Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO for more than six weeks. In that short time, apart from learning to say my whole title in one breath, I’ve learned a great deal about the day-to-day activities of the USPTO. From greeting examiners who arrive for work in my first week, to speaking to a group of over 700 managers and attending the African American Leadership Breakfast, it has been thrilling to learn more about what USPTO employees do every day.

Director Iancu greets employees entering the building for work.

Director Iancu (center) greets employees arriving to work at the USPTO Alexandria campus.

The work we do here at the USPTO every day is vital to our nation and its economy. Our vision is to fully realize our constitutional mandate to “promote the progress of science and useful arts” so that we may ensure that impact for future generations. It is no coincidence that innovation has thrived here for centuries, under the auspices of our Constitution that explicitly lays out protections for intellectual property.

The public servants at the USPTO are at the crux of innovation, and our agency serves as a fulcrum on which our customers can leverage their creations towards further development and growth. Examiners work within a very challenging set of laws, against tight time and quality constraints, yet deliver results on a consistent basis.

We will continue working with inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs to ensure that when they disclose their inventions, we properly scope and protect their best ideas by granting strong and predictable IP rights. We will also cement our IP system as balanced, efficient, and industry neutral. Whether we’re working with a small inventor with a big idea, or a big company with a small improvement, or everyone else who comes before us, each customer who comes through our doors can be assured that they will receive the highest quality service.

Director Iancu sits at the center of a large conference table , speaking with employees.

Director Iancu (center) meets with USPTO leaders and employees.

I think of inspiring inventors like Michael Schultz, the U.S. Paralympic competitor who built himself a better prosthetic, which led to a better life for himself and amputees around the world. Inventors like Michael, as well as the public, must have confidence in our system in order to spur increased innovation, productive competition, and job creation.

I look forward to talking with and listening to our many partners, customers, stakeholders, and employees to ensure the USPTO and the U.S. IP system continue to be at the forefront of our nation’s growth.

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