In January, David Kappos stepped down as director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a role he has held since his 2009 appointment by President Obama. Kappos’ time as PTO director has been punctuated by many important changes in intellectual property law from U.S. Supreme Court cases addressing fundamental principles in IP law to the passage of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, the most expansive IP legislation since 1952. Kappos strived to make the PTO more efficient while also improving the quality of patent examination and moving the field of intellectual property forward as a whole. And, as detailed in the PTO’s 2012 Performance and Accountability Report showing that the PTO met or exceeded its strategic goals, it appears that Kappos largely succeeded.
His success bore out the expectations of many in the intellectual property community, given his vast experience in intellectual property and reputation for hard work. Kappos has a degree in electrical and computer engineering and practiced intellectual property law for more than two decades before joining the PTO, culminating in his post as vice president and assistant general counsel for intellectual property at International Business Machines Corp. Kappos also held leadership roles in many intellectual property organizations while in the private sector. Kappos served on the board of directors of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), the Intellectual Property Owners Association and the International Intellectual Property Society.
