As the chief executive of the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, Kathi Vidal leads one of the largest intellectual property (IP) offices in the world and is the principal IP advisor to the President on incentivizing and protecting U.S. innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity. USPTO’s mission is to help American workers and businesses compete and collaborate, especially in ground-breaking technologies and across all demographics. Director Vidal has spent her career championing the importance of mentoring and expanding opportunities to include more individuals from underserved communities. She has been involved on boards and in committees focused on diversity and inclusion, and has mentored diverse women across the globe as part of the Fortune-U.S. Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership program. She builds on that work today. As Director of the USPTO, Vidal is working to expand American innovation for and from all, and to bring more ideas to impact, including serving as the Vice Chair of the Council for Inclusive Innovation (CI2)[https://www.uspto.gov/initiatives/equity/ci2], serving as a Co-Chair of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) [https://www.eda.gov/strategic-initiatives/national-advisory-council-on-innovation-and-entrepreneurship], launching the Empowering Women’s Entrepreneurship initiative [https://www.uspto.gov/initiatives/we], and expanding USPTO’s Pro Bono services for independent inventors and small businesses.
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We listen to inventors and entrepreneurs. We listen to our colleagues. We listen to job seekers. We listen to our leadership. We listen to our friends and family. On National Day of Listening, we encourage everyone to slow down, stop, and LISTEN. Thanks for the inspo, StoryCorps.
Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property reposted this
🥧 We appreciate our colleagues more than turkey, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie! We are thankful for the many ways Team USPTO is working to protect intellectual property and drive American innovation. #HappyThanksgiving #TeamUSPTO
Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property reposted this
Every day, our Trademarks team comes together to make meaningful things happen. From protecting the trademark register and raising awareness about trademark scams, to simplifying the way you apply and reducing processing wait times, our priority is always you. #TeamUSPTO
Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property reposted this
Growing the American economy & competitiveness means teaching our students how to think like innovators. At Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit, Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property called on the audience to learn more about the free programming and resources they can bring to their communities and into their classrooms to support the next generation of great inventors, creators, and entrepreneurs. If you want to bring USPTO to your community, reach out to our Office of Public Engagement today: https://bit.ly/3AvnY1r
Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property reposted this
Big news for design rights: The international community has agreed on a new Riyadh Design Law Treaty that supports a more straight-forward, faster, and less expensive process to pursue global protection for industrial designs, changes that are especially meaningful for independent designers and new and small businesses. The USPTO congratulates our fellow World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO member states for rising to the moment, and through consensus-based decision making, building a stronger global IP system. A special thank you to USPTO and U.S. Department of State members including Sharon Israel, David Gerk, Gordon Klancnik, Keith Mullervy, Marina Lamm, Alex Hamilton, Rasha Abdel Magid, and Aisha Salem-Howey, who represented American designer and business interests during the two weeks of final negotiations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Details on the provisions of the Treaty: https://bit.ly/40ZuoRp
Just in! 🚨Member States adopt Riyadh Design Law Treaty taking another major step to streamline global IP protection. Go team USA 🇺🇸 USPTO!
Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property reposted this
Patent fees will increase effective Jan. 19. These fee adjustments will provide sufficient funding to effectively administer the U.S. patent system & continue making progress toward achieving strategic goals, including reducing patent pendency. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3ATYIlD
Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property reposted this
This National Entrepreneurs Day, we're celebrating the startups and individuals that are the life blood of the American innovation ecosystem! To achieve our goal of helping ALL make their dream a reality, we have developed a new no-cost, on-demand, 2-hour Startup Certification Course that covers IP protection, cybersecurity, and funding to make sure innovators have the information they need to secure their IP and to scale their business. “Intellectual property, whether an invention, design, or brand, is a new business’ most valuable asset. And USPTO is here to help get it protected,” said Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property. “But many startup founders and investors we’ve talked with said there was a lack of information, and more importantly time, to focus on IP protection. So that’s where USPTO stepped in to create this new resource specifically with the needs – and limitations – of founders in mind.” Start building a stronger future with this free resource 👉 https://bit.ly/40VNac5
USPTO one of two government agencies named Top 25 Veteran Employers for 2025! "The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is dedicated to supporting veterans and military spouses, with flexible telework options being one of the most valued benefits: 85% of employees work fully remotely and 97% partially remotely. The agency’s robust veteran and military spouse hiring program is complemented by a 280+ member military association, which offers mentorship, career growth opportunities and a sense of community. The agency also hosts panels and summits on topics such as PTSD, Hispanics in the military and service branch celebrations and organizes annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day programming. Weekly virtual "coffee chats" further foster connections among veteran employees. Beyond internal support, the agency partners with several veteran and military spouse organizations and participates in key conferences, including the Military Influencer Conference, Wounded Warrior Project and the Military Spouse Employment Partnership." Elizabeth Caraway Fred Steckler Cara Duckworth Jack Fleming Christy Whitaker Eric Atkisson Shirin Bidel-Niyat Derrick Brent Carlos G. Robin Hylton Bismarck Myrick Lari Washington Carolyn Schad
Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property reposted this
Daniel Modricker has been appointed to serve as Director of the USPTO’s new Northern New England Community Outreach Office. As the Community Outreach Office Director, Modricker will carry out the strategic direction of the agency’s Office of Public Engagement (OPE) and ensure the agency’s initiatives and programs are tailored to the area’s unique ecosystem of industries and stakeholders. The office is part of the agency’s effort to expand the nation’s innovation ecosystem and serve and grow the area’s nearly 800 patent holders and about 5,000 trademark registrants fueling local industries and economies. Modricker joins the USPTO from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), where he oversaw the Partnership Engagement and Exercise Team across New England to strengthen relationships at the local level with partners in law enforcement, government, community groups, academia, and the private sector.