Stephen M. Pinkos
Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Stephen M. Pinkos was sworn in as Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in August of 2004.
As Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, Mr. Pinkos advises the President of the United States, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Administration about intellectual property matters. As Deputy Director of the USPTO, he administers the laws of granting patents and trademarks, and the day-to-day management of the $1.7 billion agency and its more than 8,000 employees.
As a leader in intellectual property (IP) policy, Mr. Pinkos helps develop and articulate Administration positions on all patent, copyright, and trademark issues, both domestic and foreign. He also promotes strong IP policy globally, including strategies to thwart the theft of U.S. IP around the world. As an agency leader, Mr. Pinkos implements policies and initiatives that provide innovators with quality and timely patent and trademark examinations.
Before joining the USPTO, Mr. Pinkos was Staff Director and Deputy General Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee under the leadership of Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner. In that capacity, he worked on several IP issues including USPTO authorization, IP piracy and counterfeiting, copyright arbitration, and web casting. He was also involved with legal reform, Congressional consideration of free trade agreements, immigration, antitrust and bankruptcy law changes, federal law enforcement oversight, and anti-terrorism issues. Before his tenure as Staff Director, Mr. Pinkos served as counsel on the Judiciary Committee under Chairman Henry Hyde, which included a significant legal role during the impeachment proceedings of 1998-99.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mr. Pinkos holds a bachelor of arts in political science from Miami University. He earned a juris doctor from DePaul University and is a member of the Virginia State Bar. He lives in Virginia with his wife Camille and daughter Channing.
Appearances
- State of the Net Conference 2007 January 31, 2007
Biography last updated January 2007