USPTO Seeks Nominations for Patent and Trademark Public Advisory Committees

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking nominations to fill upcoming vacancies on both the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) and the Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC).

The USPTO anticipates three upcoming vacancies for each committee. Selected members will serve a three-year term beginning Dec. 1, 2024, and can participate in the committees remotely. Nominations must be submitted online on or before July 5. Committees have nine voting members each, who are appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Undersecretary of Commerce, the USPTO said.

“The diverse viewpoints on PPAC and TPAC are essential to strong decision-making and pressure testing ideas,” Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, said in a statement. “The Advisory Committees play a critical role in advising the Director and supporting and strengthening the USPTO’s mission to foster and protect innovation in all forms both across the nation and internationally.”

The USPTO’s Public Advisory Committees were created in 1999 by the Patent and Trademark Office Efficiency Act to advise the Secretary of Commerce and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO on patent and trademark operations, including goals, performance, budgets, and user fees, the USPTO said.

Find submission details here. For more information about the nomination process, contact the Office of the Under Secretary and Director at 571-272-8600.

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