Posts Tagged: "Michelle Lee"

Michelle Lee launches PTAB initiative to ‘shape and improve’ IPR proceedings

The timing of the announcement is curious given that Michelle Lee’s days seem numbered as Director of the Office. As first reported on IPWatchdog.com, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has interviewed at least three candidates for the position of Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Those receiving interviews were Phil Johnson, former Vice-President for Intellectual Property Strategy & Policy for Johnson & Johnson, Randall Rader, former Chief Judge of the United States court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and an unidentified patent attorney characterized by one source as a dark horse candidate.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross interviews candidates for USPTO Director

Michelle Lee’s days seem numbered at the Patent Office. According to credible sources, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has been interviewing perspective candidates for the position of Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). One of the individuals receiving an interview this week was Phil Johnson, former Vice-President for Intellectual Property Strategy & Policy for Johnson & Johnson, and a past President of the Intellectual Property Owners Association.

Director Lee forms USPTO Working Group on Regulatory Reform

According to the announcement, the members of the USPTO Working Group will also make up the USPTO regulatory Reform Task Force… The names of the members of the Working Group/Task Force were not provided in the USPTO announcement, although the announcement does say: “Nicolas Oettinger, Senior Counsel for Regulatory and Legislative Affairs in the USPTO’s Office of General Counsel, will lead this effort.” That presumably means that Oettinger has been designated the Regulatory Reform Officer by Director Lee, although that remains unconfirmed.

Patent Office finally confirms Michelle Lee is Director of the USPTO

By letter dated March 10, 2017, the USPTO responded to Mr. Shuster’s FOIA request by informing him that “Michelle K. Lee is the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.” This is the first confirmation from anyone at the USPTO, or from anyone within the Executive Branch. There still has not been an official announcement from the USPTO, Department of Commerce, or White House. Up until today the best evidence that Lee remained as Director had been that she allowed herself to be introduced as “Director of the USPTO” at an industry event and gave opening remarks at the most recent PPAC public meeting… But the more immediate question now becomes: How long will Michelle Lee remain Director of the USPTO?

Michelle Lee opens PPAC meeting at USPTO, introduced as Director at PTAB Bar luncheon

Lee has finally been publicly introduced at an industry event as Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Indeed, earlier today Lee delivered a keynote address at the luncheon of the PTAB Bar Association meeting taking place at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C… While Michelle Lee does not appear on the meeting agenda, she was in attendance this morning at the public PPAC meeting and delivered opening remarks, although she was not then introduced as or referred to as “Director.” According to the PPAC agenda opening remarks were to be delivered by Drew Hirshfeld, Commissioner for Patents.