William F. Smith: “This legislation that I authored modernizes the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It was inspired by two principles…”

“This legislation that I authored modernizes the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It was inspired by two principles essential to a democracy: the protection of intellectual property rights and the freedom to exchange goods and services. The Patent and Trademark Office does not receive the attention of other government agencies such as the Department of State and Department of Justice, but it should. The Patent and Trademark Office is crucial to the health of our economy and to the lives of millions of Americans. The Patent and Trademark Office protects the rights of all American inventors. From the lone individual working in their garage to the small business owner with a breakthrough idea to the large high-tech company that applies for hundreds of patents, all rely on a responsive Patent and Trademark Office. Without a strong PTO, our economy would be devastated, our quality of life would be diminished, and jobs would be lost or never created in the first place.”