Biden Vaccine IP Waiver Stance Offers Clue on Patent Office Pick

The Biden administration’s blessing of an international waiver on patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines signals the president will name someone sharply different from his predecessor to run the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Andrei Iancu, who led the patent office under former President Donald Trump, supported strong intellectual property rights and curtailing avenues for stripping them, an approach critics say benefited name brand drug companies while making it harder for generics to enter the market.

President Joe Biden has been tight-lipped about whether an Iancu-like director will take the helm of the patent office. Yet in backing the vaccine ...