[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 86 (Thursday, May 7, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S2322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING Q. TODD DICKINSON

  Mr. TILLIS. Mr. President, today, on behalf of myself and Senator 
Coons, we honor the life and legacy of The Honorable Q. Todd Dickinson. 
Todd was a great friend to our offices, and we often relied on him for 
impartial counsel as we endeavored to reform patent law. Todd was 
incredibly generous with his time and his intimate knowledge of patent 
law, and we will greatly miss him.
  Todd had an immeasurable impact on our patent system during a career 
spanning more than four decades. Todd served as the first 
Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
the Patent and Trademark Office from 1999 to 2001, where he transformed 
the USPTO into a more modern and independent agency. Todd also served 
as executive director of the American Intellectual Property Law 
Association, where he played an essential role in the enactment of the 
Leahy-Smith America Invents Act.
  Todd is survived by his husband, Robert Atkins, and his brother, John 
Dickinson. Our thoughts and prayers are with Todd's family during this 
difficult time.

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