Motion Picture Association Statement on the Nomination of Kathi Vidal as Next Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

WASHINGTON – The following is a statement from Motion Picture Association Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin on President Biden’s nomination of Kathi Vidal to serve as the next Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO):

“The Motion Picture Association applauds President Biden’s nomination of Kathi Vidal to serve as the next Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

“We look forward to continuing to work with the USPTO to ensure the continued success of the creative community and the strength of America’s copyright, trademark, and patent systems.

“The core copyright industries – including the film, television, and streaming industry – employ more than 5.7 million Americans who earn on average more than $107,000 annually. In 2019 our industries in total added $2.5 trillion to the U.S. GDP and accounted for 12% of the economy. We brought back $219 billion in foreign sales – more than the American agricultural, pharmaceutical, aerospace, and electronics industries.

“Intellectual property fuels the world’s most successful creative community, and we look forward to Ms. Vidal’s confirmation to lead this critical agency.”

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About the Motion Picture Association:

The Motion Picture Association, Inc. (MPA) serves as the global voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video, and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members’ content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world.

Its member studios are: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Netflix, Inc.; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO.

Media Contact:

Tom Zigo, Motion Picture Association
Tom_Zigo@motionpictures.org
202.378.9110