Compilation of Weekly Presidential Documents - August 5, 2002 - Proclamation 7581--the bicentennial of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, 2002 George W Bush

Monday, August 5, 2002

 

Volume 38, Issue 31; ISSN: 0511-4187

 

Proclamation 7581--the bicentennial of the United States Patent and Trademark

Office, 2002

George W Bush

 

 

� Proclamation 7581-The Bicentennial of the United States Patent and

Trademark Office, 2002

 

 

� July 29, 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 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.

 

 

� George W. Bush

 

 

� [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., July 30,

2002]

 

 

� NOTE: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on

July 31.

 

 

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