The first half of 2025 has been marked by significant developments within the United States’ intellectual property agencies, notably the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the U.S. Copyright Office. These changes encompass leadership transitions, policy revisions, and procedural updates, reflecting the evolving landscape of intellectual property law.
Leadership Changes at the USPTO
In March 2025, President Donald Trump nominated John Squires, a former intellectual property attorney at Goldman Sachs, to lead the USPTO. Squires, currently a partner at Dilworth Paxson and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, specializes in areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and cybersecurity. His appointment aligns with the administration’s focus on addressing patent application backlogs and mitigating abuses within the patent system, particularly concerning applicants from China. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-nominates-ex-goldman-sachs-lawyer-head-us-patent-agency-2025-03-11/?utm_source=openai))
Additionally, the USPTO announced that Commissioner for Trademarks David Gooder would conclude his five-year term on February 28, 2025. Deputy Commissioner for Trademark Operations Dan Vavonese has been appointed as Acting Commissioner for Trademarks until a permanent successor is selected. ([uspto.gov](https://www.uspto.gov/subscription-center/2025/uspto-february-monthly-review?utm_source=openai))
Policy Shifts in Artificial Intelligence
On January 20, 2025, President Trump rescinded Executive Order 14110, which had mandated AI developers to share safety test results with the government and directed the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish safety testing standards. This move was part of a broader effort to reduce regulatory burdens on AI development. ([mondaq.com](https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/patent/1575502/changes-impacting-intellectual-property-and-innovation-policies-under-the-new-trump-administration?utm_source=openai))
Subsequently, on January 23, 2025, the administration introduced the Stargate AI Initiative, a $500 billion investment aimed at bolstering AI infrastructure in the United States. This initiative, in collaboration with companies like OpenAI, SoftBank Group Corp., and Oracle Corp., focuses on building data centers and other critical infrastructure to enhance the nation’s technological leadership. ([mondaq.com](https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/patent/1575502/changes-impacting-intellectual-property-and-innovation-policies-under-the-new-trump-administration?utm_source=openai))
Procedural Reforms at the USPTO
In March 2025, the USPTO implemented a new discretionary denial process for Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceedings. This bifurcated system separates decisions on discretionary denial from merit-based reviews, allowing a designated panel to evaluate non-merit factors such as economic and policy considerations before another panel addresses the petition’s merits. This framework expands the scenarios under which the USPTO may deny a petition and is not subject to appeal, signaling a more conservative use of agency resources. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/patent-office-introduces-new-discretionary-denial-process-challenges-issued-2025-05-16/?utm_source=openai))
Additionally, the USPTO announced changes to patent issue timelines and design application examinations. Starting May 13, 2025, the time between receiving an Issue Notification and the Issue Date will be reduced to approximately two weeks, down from the previous three-week average. Furthermore, the USPTO suspended expedited examination of design applications effective April 17, 2025, in response to a significant surge in requests driven largely by fraudulent applications. ([natlawreview.com](https://natlawreview.com/article/uspto-announces-changes-patent-issue-timelines-and-design-application-examinations?utm_source=openai))
Fee Adjustments
Effective January 18, 2025, the USPTO implemented fee increases and introduced new fees for patents and trademarks. Notable changes include a 43% increase in fees for subsequent Requests for Continued Examination (RCEs) and a new tiered fee schedule for filing continuation applications more than six years from the earliest benefit date. These adjustments necessitate careful budget considerations and may influence filing and prosecution strategies for applicants. ([apslaw.com](https://www.apslaw.com/its-your-business/2025/01/14/the-u-s-patent-and-trademark-office-uspto-fee-changes-what-you-need-to-know/?utm_source=openai))
Leadership Changes at the U.S. Copyright Office
In May 2025, the Trump administration dismissed Shira Perlmutter, the director of the U.S. Copyright Office, shortly after removing Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who had appointed her. This decision followed the Copyright Office’s report expressing concerns about using copyrighted content to train artificial intelligence systems. The move sparked significant backlash, with critics arguing that it undermines Congressional authority and destabilizes the copyright industry. ([axios.com](https://www.axios.com/2025/05/12/trump-administration-fires-top-us-copyright-official?utm_source=openai))
AI and Copyright
In January 2025, the U.S. Copyright Office announced that works created with the assistance of artificial intelligence can be protected by copyright if they contain sufficient human creativity. This clarification emphasizes that human creativity is essential for a work to be eligible for copyright protection, while works generated entirely by machines without significant human intervention cannot be registered. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/363f1c537eb86b624bf5e81bed70d459?utm_source=openai))
These developments underscore a period of significant transformation within the U.S. intellectual property landscape, reflecting the challenges and opportunities presented by technological advancements and evolving policy priorities.