Rai Officially Joins Patent Office
Duke Law School professor Arti Rai quietly reported for work at the Patent and Trademark Office on Monday as administrator for external affairs, according to sources within the agency. Rai, an expert in patent law and legal issues facing the biopharmaceutical sector, will make her maiden speech at an award ceremony for collegiate inventors in Chicago on Tuesday. She will talk about the importance of a strong intellectual property regime, economic recovery and job growth. At PTO, Rai will oversee domestic and international policy and intergovernmental relations and will be a strong voice for the agency as Congress advances legislation to overhaul the U.S. patent system.
Rai has close ties to the administration. She was a classmate of President Obama's at Harvard Law School and served on his transition team as a member of the agency review team on science, technology, space, arts and humanities. Computing Technology Industry Association Director for Global IP Chris Katopis, who previously served as PTO deputy administrator for external affairs, said Rai is a "provocative choice" for the administrator job since she hails from academia, which is seen as "notoriously anti-patent."
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