Enlarge / USPTO Deputy Director Michelle K. Lee, left, tours the Denver satellite office of the US Patent and Trademark Office in 2014. US Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado is on the right. (credit: Kathryn Scott Osler/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
With President Donald Trump having taken office today, many government offices are in the midst of a major transition. In one office that’s closely watched by technology and internet companies, however, the leadership looks to remain the same—the US Patent and Trademark Office.
There’s been no official announcement about USPTO leadership from Trump’s team, with the new president having been inaugurated earlier today. But The Hill reported yesterday that Michelle Lee, a former top lawyer at Google, will remain as USPTO director under President Trump. Politico reported the same news, sourcing it to statement from Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and confirming it with other unnamed sources.
Lee’s remaining at USPTO is a a surprise victory for the technology sector, which offered scant support for President Trump while he was campaigning for office. She supported President Barack Obama’s patent reform agenda, and Trump’s views on patents are a cipher.
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Source: Ars Technica – Head of US Patent Office Michelle Lee will remain under President Trump