In a previous blog entry I mentioned the recent letter by Senate Judiciary Committee leadership sent to the White House urging the prompt appointment of someone to fill the newly create Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (often referred to as the “IP Czar”) position. While the two most frequently mentioned candidates for the position in the blogosphere are Shira Perlmutter and Victoria Espinel, it has become clear that the list of potential candidates for the IP Czar position contains several more names and may be growing.
While the IP Czar position may be the most talked about IP position to be filled, it is certainly not the only one. With Gary Locke now confirmed as the new Secretary of Commerce, the Obama Administration is sure to focus on appointing someone to head the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). Apparently, two of the candidates – Q. Todd Dickinson, who is Executive Director of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) and also prior head of the agency toward the end of the Clinton Administration, and James Pooley, a prestigious Silicon Valley patent attorney — were both recently interviewed by the Obama Administration. Whoever is chosen by the Obama Administration to head the PTO, it is likely that that person will have to be at least somewhat supportive of efforts in the Senate to reform the patent system since the new PTO Director must be confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee – the same committee that is pushing the much-needed patent reform legislation.
In addition to IP-related positions at several of the other agencies, such as USTR, State and Justice, there may also be an IP position for an American at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Now that Francis Gurry has taken over as the Director General of WIPO he may be bringing on board several Deputy Director Generals of his choosing. One of these deputies will be likely be an American – possibly the DDG for Patents, as that was the position previously held by Gurry and is often considered to be the most important of the DDG positions. It’s also possible that whoever does not get offered the PTO Director position may be the nominee for this position. In any event, it’s likely that this will all shake out by the end of the month.
Check in later in the week and the coming months for more updates on these IP positions.