World Intellectual Property (IP) Day 2023 – Capitol Hill

Intellectual property, such as inventions, creative content and brands, is created by people. These are people with amazing ideas, creative passions, and desires to improve communities around the world. But it often takes time, money, and personal sacrifices to move these ideas, passions, and desired impacts from conception to reality. When we see these finished products, creative works, or impactful companies, what is their value?

During this year's World Intellectual Property Day celebration, with a global theme of "Women in IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity", we will revisit this idea about how we value intellectual property. We will look through the eyes of the women who have made countless sacrifices, overcame hurdles others did not have to face, and yet succeeded and made their companies, inventions and creative works into a thriving reality. This month we will feature incredible women across the U.S. and learn about their years of education, hours spent calling new customers, late nights researching after a full day of work, and money spent for studio time, all so that they can bring their intellectual property to us. These important sacrifices together equals The Value of Her IP!

The Value of Her IP event

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will celebrate World IP Day 2023, centering on the theme of "The Value of Her IP" on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, from 4:30-7:30 p.m. ET., at the U.S. Capitol building's Senate Visitors Center. The focus of the program will be hearing from women business owners, creators and inventors about the financial, time, and personal sacrifices that were necessary for them to create their intellectual property. Their stories will illustrate why it was critical to protect their investments through IP protections such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. The program will also stress the importance of increasing women's participation in the IP eco-system.

For more information about the USPTO's World Intellectual Property Day celebration please contact Susan Hoffman.

Follow the USPTO on social media this month as the agency highlights a number of amazing women entrepreneurs, creators, designers and inventors, and learn about the value of their IP through their unique journeys.

Event Program

(All times listed are in Eastern Time)
*Event program is subject to change without notice.
 

4:30 p.m.  Welcome and introduction of USPTO Director Vidal – Vincent E. Garlock, AIPLA Executive Director

4:35 p.m.  Opening remarks:  Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office

4:40 p.m.  Remarks from Members of Congress

• The Honorable Mazie Hirono, Event sponsor
• The Honorable Chris Coons, Chair Senate Judiciary, Subcommittee on Intellectual Property (invited)
• The Honorable Thom Tillis, Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary, Subcommittee on Intellectual Property (invited)
• The Honorable Darrell Issa, House IP Subcommittee Chair (invited)
• The Honorable Hank Johnson, Ranking Member House Judiciary IP Subcommittee (invited)

4:45-5:55 p.m.  Panel discussion on women innovators, creators, inventors - includes question and answer session

Moderated by Jessica Landacre, Executive Director, Intellectual Property Owners Association and Brad Watts, Vice President for Patents and Innovation Policy, US Chamber Global Innovation Policy Center.

• Elizabeth Dougherty, USPTO, Empowering Women's Entrepreneurship (WE) – The Value of Her IP
• Maria Strong, Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Policy and International Affairs, US Copyright Office (invited)
• Rachel Kahler, General Mills
• Renae Fossum, Research Fellow, The Procter & Gamble Company
• Rachel Lee, BlueFoot 
• Casey Boshae Williams, The Gentle Pit

5:55 p.m.  Closing remarks from US Copyright Office Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter and announcement of reception and exhibition.

• Special Women in Innovation displays provided by:  Procter & Gamble, General Mills, and others.

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