August 02, 2000
#00-47
Kim Byars
703-305-8341
SECRETARY MINETA TO SPEAK AT USPTO'S COMMUNITY DAY
SECRETARY MINETA TO SPEAK AT USPTO'S COMMUNITY DAY
PRESS RELEASE
RECOGNIZING OUR SIMILARITIES?EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES IS THE THEME FOR COMMUNITY DAY AT THE U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
On Thursday, August 3, 2000, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will hold its fifth annual community day, recognizing the many cultures represented in its workforce. Joining USPTO Director Q. Todd Dickinson and agency staff at community day will be Commerce Secretary, Norman Y. Mineta, and Kerry Donley, Mayor of Alexandria City, the future home of USPTO. Community Day will also feature exhibitors and vendors, as well as foods and dress representative of the diversity of USPTO?s workforce. Q. Todd Dickinson, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, said, "Community Day provides USPTO?s 6,200 employees, who have roots from around the world, an opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity that is an integral part of the agency."
WHAT: USPTO's 5th Annual Community DayWHY: To celebrate USPTO's diverse workforce
WHEN: August 3, 2000
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
WHERE: Crystal Plaza Park
2021 South Clark Place
Arlington, Virginia
USPTO, a user fee-funded agency of the United States, within the Department of Commerce, administers laws relevant to granting patents and registering trademarks. The Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office advises the Secretary of Commerce and other Federal departments and agencies on intellectual property policy matters. Over 6 million patents have been issued since the first patent in 1790 and 2.3 million trademarks have been registered since the first in 1870. Last year USPTO issued 161,000 patents and registered 104,000 trademarks.
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