This Week in Washington IP: More Debate on Stablecoin Regulation, Oversight Hearing for the NTIA, and Legislating New Climate Science Research Centers

This week in Washington IP news, the Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing to discuss last November’s report on stablecoins by the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets. Over in the House of Representatives, the Communications Subcommittee will conduct an oversight hearing of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), while the Energy Subcommittee debates a proposed bill that would create a series of climate research centers across the United States. Elsewhere, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (PTAB’s) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee discusses its efforts to increase accessibility at the PTAB, while New America hosts an event to discuss the possibility that nuclear energy could be better adopted into national energy systems in order to meet climate goals.

Tuesday, February 15 

Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 

Examining the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets Report on Stablecoins

At 10:00 AM on Tuesday in 538 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Last November, the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets (PWG) issued a report on stablecoins, a form of digital currency that could be tied to the value of the U.S. dollar, in cooperation with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Last week, at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on the PWG’s report, news reports indicate that committee members asked several pointed, substantive questions on stablecoins but did not give any sense as to when legislation for introducing stablecoins into the U.S. currency system would be introduced. The sole witness for this hearing will be the Honorable Nellie Liang, Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, U.S. Department of the Treasury.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

USPTO Guidance and Policy: Subject Matter Eligibility

At 1:00 PM on Tuesday, online video webinar.

Section 101 subject matter eligibility under U.S. patent law has become increasingly confounding over the course of more than a decade thanks to several U.S. Supreme Court decisions. This workshop features a presentation on the USPTO’s subject matter eligibility policy given by Matthew Sked, Senior Legal Advisor, Office of Patent Legal Administration.

Wednesday, February 16

House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology 

Connecting America: Oversight of NTIA

At 12:00 PM on Wednesday, online video webinar.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is the main agency of the federal government tasked with advising the President on the nation’s telecommunications issues. The NTIA is currently working on several initiatives including implementing provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act related to deploying broadband networks and improving digital access, as well as representing the federal government at the Federal Communications Commission on issues involving wireless spectrum management. The sole witness for this hearing will be the Honorable Alan Davison, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

New America

How Much of Our Future is Nuclear?

At 12:00 PM on Wednesday, online video webinar.

Many alternative energy advocates continue to point out that nuclear energy generation can play an important role in helping national governments reduce their reliance on fossil fuel-based energy generation to meet climate treaty goals. Despite this, many nations including the United States are working to decommission more nuclear power plants at a faster rate than those governments are commissioning new plants, in large part due to fears over radioactive waste disposal and past nuclear disasters like Chernobyl. This event will feature a discussion with a panel including Maria G. Korsnick, President and CEO, Nuclear Energy Institute; Nomsa Michelle, Research Associate, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies; Adam Stein, Associate Director, Nuclear Innovation, Breakthrough Institute; and moderated by Jason Bordoff, Co-Founding Dean, Columbia Climate School.

House Committee on House Administration 

Big Data: Privacy Risks and Needed Reforms in the Public and Private Sectors

At 2:00 PM on Wednesday in 1310 Longworth House Office Building.

As several Big Tech firms have been navigating strict data privacy regulations over in Europe, policymakers in the United States have been paying attention and debating ways for the federal government to legislate greater privacy protections for U.S. consumers. At the same time, actions on data privacy taken by corporations like Apple have been eating into profits across the tech sector, and even Facebook’s owner Meta recently announced that Apple’s new data privacy policies will likely cost the social media giant $10 billion in lost sales this year alone. The witness panel for this hearing has yet to be announced.

Thursday, February 17 

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 

Learn About the PTAB Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee

At 12:00 PM on Thursday, online video webinar.

This webinar, part of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (PTAB) Boardside Chat series, offers a discussion on the efforts of the PTAB’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. This webinar will feature a discussion with a panel including Chris Paulraj, Lead PTAB Judge; Asli Carome, Patent Attorney; Jamilah Sultan, Paralegal Specialist; and Nona Durham, Paralegal Specialist. 

House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources

Legislative: Securing the Future of Climate Adaptation Science at the United States Geological Survey

At 1:00 PM on Thursday, online video webinar.

On Thursday afternoon, the House Energy Subcommittee will convene a legislative hearing to discuss H.R. 6654, the Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASC) Act. If enacted, this bill would establish a National Climate Adaptation Science Center and several Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers that would be responsible for conducting research responsive to the effects of extreme weather events and climate trends. There is no witness panel for this hearing.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 

2022 Black Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program, Part One: Defining Tomorrow

At 2:00 PM on Thursday, online video webinar.

This workshop, the first in the USPTO’s two-part 2022 Black Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program, will feature presentations on success stories within the black inventor community and discussions on best practices for entrepreneurial success. This workshop will feature a discussion on keys to entrepreneurial success with a panel including Janet Emerson Bashen, CEO, Bashen Corporation; Morgan DeBaun, Founder and CEO, Blavity Inc.; Stacy Spikes, Founder and CEO, PreShow, and Co-Founder and CEO, MoviePass; and moderated by Alford Kindred, Supervisory Patent Examiner, Technology Center 2100, USPTO.

Friday, February 18 

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 

Patent Public Search: Advanced Features for Frequent Searchers

At 2:00 PM on Friday, online video webinar.

This workshop features an overview and demonstration of the USPTO’s new Patent Public Search tools for conducting online patent publication searches at the agency. Topics covered during this workshop include tagging patents based on user-defined criteria, annotating documents digitally and conducting targeted keyword searches.

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Author: hobrath
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