J&J IP boss out of race for USPTO top job

Johnson & Johnson’s senior vice president of IP, Phil Johnson, may be out of the running for the top job at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as the Obama administration reconsiders its choice for the role, insiders have told The Wall Street Journal.

Last week, it emerged that Johnson had been nominated as the USPTO’s new director, a role that has not been permanently occupied since former director David Kappos left the post in January 2013.

However, many questioned the administration’s choice, as where the White House has championed patent reform to curb frivolous litigation by non-practicing entities, Johnson has publicly opposed reform as a representative of the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform.

“We needed somebody who understood that the patent trolls, which are hurting so many tech startups, had to be reined in, and Mr Johnson was unsympathetic to that viewpoint,” US Senator Charles Schumer told The Wall Street Journal in an emailed statement.