Sacramento - In a bipartisan effort to create more jobs in California and to promote assistance to state businesses, Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles), Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), Assembly Minority Leader Connie Conway (R-Tulare) and Senate Minority Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) have called for the placement of a United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in California.
"California is a state defined by being on the cutting edge of technology and innovation, and our state is a natural home for the new satellite US Patent and Trademark Office," said Speaker John A. Pérez. "Locating the new office in California will be good for our economy, which is why I'm proud that we have such strong, bipartisan support for this effort."
The four state lawmakers wrote a letter to the USPTO Director David Kappos this month, expressing their support for the allocation of a satellite office in California, stating, "Innovation is woven into geography of California and the spirit of its citizens. From Northern California, the birthplace and incubator of biotechnology, high technology, and green technology to Central California, the home of much of our nation's food supply to Southern California, the pioneering leaders in the entertainment, biomedical, and aerospace industries, California entrepreneurs and companies continue to innovate and expand."
"California is the undisputed epicenter of creativity and invention, home to more patent holders than any other state," said Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. "We have an abundance of highly skilled professionals to meet the needs and standards of a USPTO satellite office."
California represented 25 percent of all patents granted in the United States in 2010—totaling over 30,000. The next highest number of patents granted to a state was New York with 8,095. In the letter, the legislators site California's prestigious universities and diverse population for spurring innovation.
"As an incubator of innovation, California is an ideal location for a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Investing in our state's entrepreneurial spirit will help grow and create jobs in the Golden State, and maintain our reputation as a global leader in technology," said Assembly Minority Leader Connie Conway.
The USPTO is looking to place two more offices outside of Washington, D.C., after announcing last year that they will place one office in Detroit. While they were searching for its first city, their criteria included the number of patent applications by the state and strong engineering programs at local universities. California is vying with more than 20 other states for a satellite office.
"California had the highest number of patents granted in 2010, quadruple the number of any other state in the union. California is home to innovative thought and design, from Silicon Valley to Hollywood. Innovation is this state's unique signature, and it's why the next United States Patent and Trademark Satellite office should be placed here," said Senate Minority Leader Bob Huff.
Website of Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker
Website of President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg: http://dist06.casen.govoffice.com/
Website of Assembly Minority Leader Connie Conway: http://arc.asm.ca.gov/member/34/
Website of Senate Minority Leader Bob Huff: http://cssrc.us/web/29/
CONTACT: John Vigna (Pérez) (916) 319-2408, Mark Hedlund (Steinberg) (916) 651-4188, Junay Gardner Logan (Huff) (916) 651-4029, Sabrina Lockhart (Conway) (916) 319-2034
