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The Impact of Patent Policy on Innovation

As a leading force in U.S. innovation policy, The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) enforces intellectual property policy both domestically and abroad. The USPTO works with and supports the efforts of Congress, the Obama administration, the legal community, and industry to implement new approaches to innovative law and the nation’s patent system.

On January 22, Governance Studies at Brookings will host Michelle K. Lee, the Deputy Director of USPTO waiting for Senate confirmation to lead the USPTO. The discussion will cover the direction of the USPTO in 2015 and steps that the “innovation agency” will take to provide more tools to technologists and entrepreneurs. During her recent Congressional testimony, Lee argued that the, “USPTO must remain focused on reducing backlog and pendency of its patent applications while maintaining the highest level of quality for both patent and trademark examination.”

Lee will provide insights into the key efforts underway at the USPTO and how these efforts will catalyze economic growth, increase opportunities to export abroad, and inspire the next generation of American innovators.