Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Lawmakers press USPTO director over trademark filings for 'Board of Peace' and fee waiver
Summary
A committee member questioned why the USPTO filed and sought a fee waiver for trademark applications tied to a 'Board of Peace' domain; Director Squires said the office acted as a narrow custodian under 35 U.S.C. §3 to prevent cybersquatting and denied representing the president, while members pressed for documents and raised conflict-of-interest concerns.
A member of the House Judiciary Committee pressed U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Squires about the agency's decision to file trademark applications for a "Board of Peace" domain and to seek a fee waiver that, according to committee documents, was filed on 01/21/2026 and granted the next day.
"We acted as a custodian so that they could have the mark," Squires told the panel, saying the filing arose from a "cyber squatting" incident and that the office filed as a narrow custodial applicant under the department's authority. He cited 35 U.S.C. §3 as the statute that authorizes advising the president on…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
