ITA, NIST, and USPTO to Host Listening Session on Standards and IP to Inform Implementation of the U.S. Government National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology

Registration is now open to speak at or attend the September 20 event

The International Trade Administration (ITA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) have announced an upcoming listening session focused on issues at the intersection of standards and intellectual property (IP). The public session is intended to further the implementation of the United States Government National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology (USG NSSCET), and pursuant to NIST’s recent Request for Information on implementation of the USG NSSCET.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) encourages all relevant stakeholders to attend this important event, to be held September 20, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. The in-person session will be held at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, VA; the session will also be available via live feed for remote attendance. Registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendance. Stakeholders who would like to speak at the listening session must attend in person and register by 5:00 p.m. ET on September 13. Those who would like attend (either in person or virtually) but not speak at the event must register by September 18. Seating is limited for in-person attendance. Written comments will be accepted until September 29.

The listening session will bring together IP stakeholders, researchers, businesses, and other parties to discuss implementation strategies for standards-setting identified in the USG NSSCET. Speakers will provide their input on the current state of U.S. firms’ participation in standard-setting processes, especially as they relate to the standardization of critical and emerging technologies (CETs) and standard essential patents (SEPs).

Topics of discussion include the key objectives identified in the USG NSSCET and how they support international standards for CETs:

• Long-term investments in standards development
• U.S. participation in international standards-setting activities and bodies
• Investment in a U.S. workforce that can effectively contribute to technical standards development
• Ensuring that international standards are established on the basis of merit through fair processes

To learn more, including details on submitting comments or speaking at the session, see the Federal Register notice, the USPTO website, and the listening session registration page.

Related: ANSI strongly encourages its members and constituents to contribute to ANSI's coordinated response to NIST Request for Information (RFI) on the implementation of the USG NSSCET. Learn more.