Senate Confirms Kappos As PTO Chief
The full Senate late today confirmed IBM Assistant General Counsel David Kappos as the next director of the Patent and Trademark Office, following Kappos' approval Thursday by the Senate Judiciary Committee on a voice vote. The Senate's action came as it wrapped up business prior to a month-long August recess. Kappos will also hold the title of undersecretary for intellectual property at the Commerce Department. In a written statement following the Judiciary Committee's action, Chairman Patrick Leahy emphasized the importance of getting a PTO director in place quickly. "The PTO needs strong and accountable leadership," he said, pointing to the agency's growing backlog of patent applications and economic woes - which required recent passage of emergency legislation, due to a drop in user fees that fund PTO operations. Leahy said he also looked forward to working with Kappos on a bill the senator introduced that would overhaul the U.S. patent system.
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