CONTACT: (Media Only)
Paul Fucito
(571) 272-8400 or paul.fucito@uspto.gov
WASHINGTON - The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced that NBA All-Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will deliver the keynote address at the opening ceremony for the 2018 National Trademark Expo at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. on Friday, July 27 at 12:15 p.m. The two-day event helps support the mission of the USPTO and that of its collaborator, the museum’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, by educating the public about the history and value of trademarks in addition to their importance in the global marketplace through engaging seminars, children’s activities, displays of authentic and counterfeit goods, as well as numerous exhibits featuring registered trademarks.
“We are thrilled to have Kareem Abdul-Jabbar involved with the 2018 National Trademark Exposition,” said USPTO Commissioner for Trademarks Mary Boney Denison. “As a registered trademark owner, Kareem is well-versed in the importance of intellectual property protection and has long been a pioneer in promoting STEM education opportunities to underserved communities as chairman of his Skyhook Foundation.”
Abdul-Jabbar is a businessman and a New York Times best-selling author who has written 14 books, including two recent memoirs: “Becoming Kareem” for young readers, and “Coach Wooden and Me” about his lifelong friendship with famed UCLA coach John Wooden. He is also an avid coin collector and recipient of The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
The Expo will be held on Friday, July 27 and Saturday, July 28, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Abdul-Jabbar will join more than twenty exhibitors including government entities, non-profits, small businesses, and corporations, each providing valuable educational information about trademarks to the public. Abdul-Jabbar will address visitors at the opening ceremony on Friday at 12:15 p.m. and participate in a panel discussion on how celebrities build and maintain their brands. He and his business manager, Deborah Morales, will also serve as moderators for a continuing legal education seminar for legal professionals on exploring artists’ posthumous intellectual property rights on Friday at 10:15 a.m.
For more information, please visit: www.uspto.gov/about-us/events/2018-national-trademark-expo.
For non-press inquiries, please email TMExpo@uspto.gov or contact Chrisie King at (571) 272-9179 or Shana Webster-Trotman at (571) 272-9698.
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