[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 147 (Wednesday, July 31, 2002)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 49559-49560]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-19485]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 147 / Wednesday, July 31, 2002 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 49559]]


                Proclamation 7581 of July 29, 2002

                
The Bicentennial of the United States Patent and 
                Trademark Office, 2002

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                For two centuries, the United States Patent Office has 
                played a vital role in the scientific, technical, and 
                economic development of our Nation by granting 
                inventors patents for their inventions. As Abraham 
                Lincoln once stated, patents ``added the fuel of 
                interest to the fire of genius.''

                The first Patent Act of the United States was signed 
                into law by President George Washington on April 10, 
                1790. Under this legislation, patent applicants 
                petitioned the Secretary of State for the grant of a 
                patent. The Secretary, in consultation with the 
                Secretary of War and the Attorney General, determined 
                whether the invention or discovery was ``sufficiently 
                useful and important.'' At that time, both the 
                President and the Secretary of State signed patents.

                As the number of applications for patents grew, it 
                became necessary to develop an organized review process 
                to handle the increasing volume. In 1793, the law was 
                changed to eliminate examinations, and the job of 
                receiving and granting patents was given to clerks in 
                the Department of State.

                On June 1, 1802, the Secretary of State appointed Dr. 
                William Thornton to serve as the first clerk at the 
                Department of State. In that position, Dr. Thornton was 
                solely responsible for receiving and recording patent 
                applications and issuing patents, and his office 
                effectively became the first patent office. From this 
                simple beginning, the Patent Office has grown to become 
                a modern institution of ideas and innovations.

                For 200 years, millions of inventors have sought to 
                protect their inventions through the American patent 
                system. These patented inventions include Thomas 
                Edison's electric lamp, Alexander Graham Bell's 
                telegraphy, Orville and Wilbur Wright's flying machine, 
                John Deere's steel plow, George Washington Carver's use 
                of legume oils to produce cosmetics and paint, and 
                Edwin Land's Polaroid camera.

                In 1881, the functions of the Patent Office grew to 
                also include the registration of trademarks. Today, the 
                United States Patent and Trademark Office annually 
                receives more than 326,000 patent applications and 
                232,000 trademark applications. Since the signing of 
                the first Patent Act over two centuries ago, more than 
                6.3 million United States patents have been issued. The 
                United States Patent and Trademark Office represents 
                one of the largest repositories of scientific and 
                technical knowledge in the world, and much of this 
                information is available on the Internet. Similarly, 2 
                million current trademark registrations are also 
                available online.

                As the Patent Office enters its third century, we 
                commend the important work of the United States Patent 
                and Trademark Office that supports scientific, 
                technological, and intellectual property developments; 
                promotes growth in our economy; and encourages 
                increased prosperity for our Nation.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim the Bicentennial of

[[Page 49560]]

                the United States Patent and Trademark Office. I call 
                upon all Americans to recognize this anniversary with 
                appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities, 
                thereby honoring the Office's many scientific, 
                economic, and cultural contributions to our Nation and 
                the world.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand two, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and twenty-seventh.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

[FR Doc. 02-19485
Filed 7-30-02; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P