PRESS RELEASE Contact: Jennifer Rankin Byrne or Ruth Nyblod Phone: (571) 272-8400 or Jennifer.rankin_byrne@uspto.gov Ruth.Nyblod@uspto.gov	March 31, 2008 #08-11
USPTO Celebrates Trademarks National Trademark Expo to be held at USPTO’s Alexandria Campus April 10-12 Washington, D.C. - The Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will highlight the vital role trademarks play in the global economy and private and public sector efforts to combat counterfeitingthe National Trademark Expo next Thursday through Saturday.  The Expo is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the USPTO’s Madison Building atrium, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Va.  The Expo will feature exciting, interactive exhibits that illustrate the many kinds of trademarks—sound, configuration, color, motion and scent; the history and evolution of trademarks; and appearances by famous trademarked characters including the Pillsbury Doughboy, M & M Candy, Smokey Bear and Sprout.  Companies exhibiting at the Expo include Microsoft®, Burberry®, NASCAR®, UPS® and Owens Corning®, and many others. Trademarks are also important to small businesses, and they will be represented at the Expo by Starmaker Products®--a California-based cosmetic company founded by Anson Williams, who played “Potsie” on the popular 1970s TV series Happy Days. Williams will explain the importance of registered federal trademarks to his company, and will sign autographs. Jon Dudas, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, said: “The National Trademark Expo will be an informative, fun event for the entire family.  Trademarks are all around us -- we encounter at least 1,500 a day.  So, it’s fitting that we celebrate the vital role they play in our economy and the assurance of quality they provide consumers.  The Expo is also an opportunity to highlight the government’s efforts to combat counterfeit goods, which cost Americans billons of dollars each year.” A complete list of exhibitors and more information about the National Trademark Expo is available at www.uspto.gov or by calling (571) 272-8400. ###