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.
