[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 240 (Monday, December 15, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 74068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-29350]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No.: PTO-C-2014-0047]


Notice of Public Meeting on Trade Secret Topics

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of symposium.

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SUMMARY: The protection of U.S. trade secrets from misappropriation is 
an Administration priority. As noted in the Administration Strategy on 
Mitigating the Theft of U.S. Trade Secrets (February 2013), ``trade 
secret theft threatens American businesses, undermines national 
security, and places the security of the U.S. economy in jeopardy.'' In 
pursuit of the goals of the Administration Strategy through information 
sharing and discussion, the United States Patent and Trademark Office 
will hold a public symposium on issues relevant to the protection of 
trade secrets. Topics to be discussed include losses due to trade 
secret theft and challenges to protecting trade secrets, the 
intersection of patent and trade secret protection, trade secret issues 
in civil litigation, trade secret protection in foreign jurisdictions, 
and proposed responses to the threat of trade secret theft in the U.S.

DATES: The symposium will be held on January 8, 2015. The symposium 
will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The symposium will be held at the United States Patent and 
Trademark Office, Madison Building, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, 
Virginia 22314.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding the 
symposium, please contact Michael Smith, Jenny Blank, or Hollis 
Robinson at the Office of Policy and International Affairs, by 
telephone at (571) 272-9300, by email at [email protected], or by 
postal mail addressed to: Mail Stop OPIA, United States Patent and 
Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450, ATTN: 
Michael Smith, Jenny Blank, or Hollis Robinson. Please direct all media 
inquiries to the Office of the Chief Communications Officer, USPTO, at 
(571) 272-8400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Trade Secret Symposium

    Under U.S. law, trade secrets comprise commercially valuable 
information not generally known or readily ascertainable to the public 
that are subject to reasonable measures to maintain confidentiality. 
The protection of U.S. trade secrets from misappropriation is an 
Administration priority. As stated in the Administration Strategy on 
Mitigating the Theft of U.S. Trade Secrets (February 2013), ``trade 
secret theft threatens American businesses, undermines national 
security, and places the security of the U.S. economy in jeopardy.'' 
Likewise, increased mobility, globalization, and the anonymous/
pseudonymous nature of the internet result in new challenges to 
protecting trade secrets. In pursuit of the goals of the Administration 
Strategy through information sharing and discussion, the United States 
Patent and Trademark Office will hold a public symposium on issues 
relevant to the protection of trade secrets. Topics to be discussed 
include losses due to trade secret theft and challenges in protecting 
trade secrets, the intersection of patent and trade secret protection, 
trade secret matters that arise in civil litigation, trade secret 
protection in foreign jurisdictions, and proposed responses to the 
threat of trade secret theft in the U.S. The symposium will feature 
panel discussions, and there will be opportunities for attendees to ask 
questions. It is expected that experts from academia, the legislative 
and executive branches, the judiciary, private legal practice, and 
industry will serve as panelists.

Instructions and Information on the Public Symposium

    The symposium will be held on January 8, 2015, at the United States 
Patent and Trademark Office, Madison Building, 600 Dulany Street, 
Alexandria, Virginia 22314. The symposium will begin at 9 a.m. and end 
at 3 p.m. The agenda will be available a week before the symposium on 
the USPTO Web site, http://www.uspto.gov/. Registration is available at 
http://events.SignUp4.com/tradesecrets. Attendees may also register at 
the door one half-hour prior to the beginning of the symposium.
    The symposium will be physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Individuals requiring accommodation, such as sign 
language interpretation or other ancillary aids, should communicate 
their needs to Hollis Robinson at the Office of Policy and 
International Affairs, by telephone at (571) 272-9300, by email at 
[email protected], or by postal mail addressed to: Mail Stop 
OPIA, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, 
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450, ATTN: Hollis Robinson, at least seven (7) 
business days prior to the symposium.

    Dated: December 9, 2014.
Michelle K. Lee,
Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy 
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2014-29350 Filed 12-12-14; 8:45 am]
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