Kappos A Tough Act To Follow As USPTO Director

As David Kappos steps down as director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, his tenure has drawn wide acclaim from attorneys, who said it may be difficult to find a successor who can match his commitment to improving patent quality and open communication with the patent community.

Law360 reached out to Fish’s Karl Renner for his thoughts on Kappos’ departure and what made him so successful. In his interview he suggests that“the key to Kappos’ success as director was his strong communication skills. He frequently visited law firms and industry groups to solicit questions and criticism that he used in a thoughtful way to improve the office.” Karl went on to say, “I thought he established a terrific rapport with the industry and projected from the patent office an open dialog that was productive. If we had another great communicator, that would be extremely helpful.”

The full article, which includes commentary from other attorneys, can be read on law360.com.