Inventor Rights, Virus-Related IP Seen as Patent Office Focus

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is unlikely to be as tech-friendly in President-elect Joe Biden’s administration as under his Democratic predecessor, agency-watchers say.

Concerns about user privacy, election interference, and allegedly anti-competitive practices have made Democrats more wary of Big Tech. The patent office will prioritize patent rights and innovation under Biden, attorneys said.

It’s not clear whom Biden will tap to lead the agency or whether current director Andrei Iancu will stay on until a successor is in place.

Biden has emphasized U.S. innovation and manufacturing, and protecting IP from international theft, without a focus on any specific ...