The USPTO received backlash from social media users over an alleged partisan social media tweet. On October 29, 2020, the USPTO posted the following on several social media platforms including LinkedIn and Twitter:
“Just a reminder, under President Trump’s leadership, the U.S. intellectual property ecosystem ranks #1 in the world, according to the 2020 International IP Index.” – Andrei Iancu, Director of the USPTO
More: https://bit.ly/31VkRLB
https://twitter.com/uspto/status/1321912211963564049
Over the years, the USPTO has remained generally non-partisan. Some social media users, however, believe that the USPTO crossed the line with this tweet. The USPTO received specific backlash over the fact that the election is just days away. While there are some “likes,” almost all comments were negative. On Twitter, one user stated “This is wildly inappropriate.”
Even though the USPTO’s post is arguably a partisan post, it is important to consider that the USPTO also recognized President Obama as an innovation leader in 2014.
We should also consider the positive aspects of the USPTO’s tweet. The US has maintained its ranking as the best IP system in the world for 8 straight years. Regardless of who we elect as our next President, hopefully our patent system will maintain this level of dominance!
