March 8, 2024
Invent Together Honored Sen. Mazie Hirono, Sen. Thom Tillis, and Rep. Deborah Ross with the Inclusive Innovation Champion Award for Their Efforts to Empower Inventors and Expand Patent Access
Washington, DC – (March 8, 2024) – Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, highlighted how the USPTO is working to empower inventors, especially those from historically underrepresented groups, in remarks at the Celebration of Inclusive Innovation, hosted by Invent Together, a U.S. alliance focused on ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to invent and patent. Director Vidal also emphasized the power of patents in increasing economic opportunity.
“Since I took the helm of the USPTO, we have been working tirelessly to give every American the opportunity, tools, and support needed to protect their innovation and bring it to market. We are meeting people where they are, reducing barriers to entry, and providing those new to inventing, patenting, and trademarking the education and support they need to be successful,” said Director Vidal. “These efforts are guided by the vision that if we can close inventor diversity gaps and help more under resourced inventors achieve the American dream we could grow our economy by $1 trillion.”
“Director Vidal is a true champion of inclusive innovation, driving U.S. efforts to close inventor diversity gaps and inspire greater engagement in the innovation ecosystem. We look forward to continuing our work together to broaden participation in inventing and patenting,” said Holly Fechner, Executive Director of Invent Together.
At the celebration, Invent Together also honored Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC-02) with the inaugural Invent Together Inclusive Innovation Champion Award for their exceptional leadership on legislation to empower U.S. inventors and eliminate inventor diversity gaps. The award celebrates the legislators’ advancement of key legislation, including the Unleashing American Innovators Act enacted in 2022 and the Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement (IDEA) Act.
“By championing these bills, Sens. Hirono and Tillis and Rep. Ross have demonstrated their commitment to inclusive innovation, and their leadership has been instrumental in advancing policies that broaden participation in inventing and patenting,” said Fechner. “Increasing the number of U.S. inventors will not only benefit individual inventors and their families but will also boost our economy and help the United States remain a global leader in innovation.”
Sen. Tillis and Rep. Ross played crucial roles in the passage of the bipartisan Unleashing American Innovators Act, signed into law by President Biden in December 2022. The law made important strides toward broadening participation in inventing and patenting by improving access to free legal assistance for patent applications and broadening USPTO outreach to potential inventors.
“I’m proud to represent much of the Research Triangle — home to biotech and software companies, startups, and world-class universities. It’s crucial that this community has the support needed to protect their intellectual property and continue leading our country’s innovation enterprise. My legislation, the Unleashing American Innovators Act, took a needed step forward to expand access to patents for underrepresented communities, and I am continuing to fight in Congress for important reforms to the American patent system. Thanks to partners like Invent Together, we are building a more inclusive innovation ecosystem,” said Rep. Ross.
Likewise, Sen. Hirono and Sen. Tillis have led efforts to empower the USPTO to gather data to better understand the demographics of inventorship and what talent is being left on the table.
“Our country is home to millions of inventors, and millions more potential inventors. To maintain our leadership in critical and emerging technologies, it’s critical we do more to empower women and people of color in securing patent rights. I thank Invent Together for supporting policies that bolster underrepresented groups’ access to inventing and patenting,” said Sen. Hirono.
“I'm proud to be a champion of strong, reliable, and predictable intellectual property rights, especially when it comes to patents. Such rights are imperative to enable investments in a broad array of new innovative technologies that are critical to the economic and global competitiveness of the United States,” said Sen. Tillis. “That's why I've co-led legislation such as the Unleashing American Innovators Act, which was passed into law, and the IDEA Act. The key takeaway is that everyone in our great country should know that they can be an inventor. I look forward to seeing what Invent Together does to continue the work on this front.”
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About Invent Together
Invent Together is an alliance of universities, nonprofits, companies, and other stakeholders dedicated to broadening participation in inventing and patenting.
www.inventtogether.org.
Invent Together Press Contact
Katie Castillo, Senior Vice President, BCW Global
Phone: 202-909-8707
Email: Katie.castillo@bcw-global.com
