Senate Confirms Iancu as PTO Director

The Senate confirmed Andrei Iancu Monday as Patent and Trademark Office director. The Senate was still voting at our deadline, but at least 51 senators had already voted yes. President Donald Trump nominated Iancu in August, months after previous PTO Director Michelle Lee resigned (see 1706060067 and 1709060017 or 1709060026). The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced his nomination in December (see 1712140021). Iancu will make an "outstanding" PTO director, said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, on the Senate floor: "In an area fraught with allegiances to particular industries or groups, Andrei can bring a neutral, unbiased perspective because he’s already had to approach issues from so many different angles" as an Irell and Manella IP lawyer. Iancu "has a real opportunity to be proactive in patent law rather than responding to problems after they have grown," said Computer and Communications Industry Association President Ed Black. "We hope the new director can withstand pressure from those who are now successfully misusing the patent system and implement changes to curb that abuse."