United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO);
Blog by Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO Laura Peter
"Recently, I spoke with John Cabeca,
USPTO Silicon Valley Regional Director in San Jose, California, about
his experience at the USPTO and what’s next for him. John is a 30-plus
year veteran of the USPTO. He served in numerous key leadership roles
throughout his tenure and has dedicated much of his career working with
significant customers of the USPTO on IP matters and through outreach
and education programs to help small and large businesses, startups, and
entrepreneurs. Over the years, he served the USPTO in important roles,
including in the Office of Patent Legal Administration, the Office of
Governmental Affairs, and most recently in the Office of the Under
Secretary as Regional Director of the Silicon Valley...
LP: What does an average week on the job entails? What traits make a regional officer director successful?
JC: Every day is different and exciting. I could be meeting with
entrepreneurs, seeing the latest technologies, doing a STEM activity
with kids, or giving a keynote on IP policy. In essence, the USPTO
regional director serves as an emissary for the USPTO in the region and
as a conduit for policy recommendations. Often, we meet with
stakeholders from some of the most innovative companies in the world and
help address their needs and priorities. I also travel quite a bit to
all the states in the region, to make sure I understand stakeholder’s
needs and concerns. I’m also fortunate to work alongside a talented,
dedicated and hard-working team at the USPTO Silicon Valley Regional
Office, that enable us to stay on top of everything! I’d say some
important traits for a USPTO regional office director are in-depth
knowledge of intellectual property, good listening skills, adaptability,
the ability to think outside the box, as well as being a relentless
advocate for our IP stakeholders.
LP: Can you share some of your accomplishments that you are
most proud of during your time as a regional director of the SV office?
JC: Looking back over the past six years, it’s been amazing to be
at the forefront of new technologies and see how rapidly they are being
developed, including artificial intelligence, driverless cars, 5G, and
more. To be able to see these firsthand and help those innovators get
those products protected and to market has been really fulfilling. Every
day is different, and it energized me to know that every day I was
going to learn something. In addition, I’m proud to have led the design,
build-out and opening of the USPTO Silicon Valley office facilities. We
built an educational component throughout our space, and the office has
become a destination for a wide range of visitors, including many
international IP delegations coming to meet with us. Our staff works
tirelessly to provide resources to the public, reviews applications
thoroughly and quickly, and increases the understanding of IP rights. As
for the Silicon Valley team, they have been an absolute treasure to
work with. I am so very proud of the culture we created together, and
honored to work alongside the amazing, talented, hard-working workforce
of over 100 employees working out of the USPTO Silicon Valley office and
to get to know many of the nearly 500 USPTO employees working from
their homes across the region."
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