{"id":33912,"date":"2022-01-13T10:50:08","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T15:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipo.org\/?page_id=33912"},"modified":"2025-08-21T19:18:34","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T23:18:34","slug":"50th","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ipo.org\/index.php\/50th\/","title":{"rendered":"50th Anniversary"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css_animation=”fadeIn” el_id=”inner-banner”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”33422″ img_size=”full”][vc_row_inner el_id=”inner-text”][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”IPO 50th Anniversary” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”fadeIn” el_id=”about-video”][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5JDBrpSY63Q”][vc_column_text]IPO celebrated 50 years in 2022. We were excited for this milestone and shared exciting events and announcements throughout the year.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ el_id=”about-text”][vc_column_text]IPO celebrated 50 years of serving the IP community in 2022.<\/p>\n

IPO History<\/strong><\/p>\n

Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) was established in 1972 as an international trade association representing a \u201cbig tent\u201d of diverse companies, law firms, service providers and individuals in all industries and fields of technology that own, or are interested in, intellectual property (IP) rights. Information about IPO membership, benefits, and activities can be found by following the links in the menus at the top of this page.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_id=”about-sec”][vc_column][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section title=”IPO History” tab_id=”1648049251096-afb35c20-2f17″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”34438″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3\/4″][vc_column_text]IPO was <\/span>incorporated <\/span>as a membership association <\/span>50 years ago — <\/span>on January 25, 1972<\/span> \u2013<\/span> in Washington, DC.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>IPO is thought to be the first association to use the term \u201cintellectual property\u201d in its name.<\/span><\/span> \u00a0<\/span>The founding companies retained <\/span><\/span>William E. Schuyler, Jr.<\/span><\/span><\/a>, a <\/span>nationally known <\/span>litigator to <\/span>serve as the first IPO <\/span>p<\/span>resident<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”34436″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3\/4″][vc_column_text]Until<\/span> 1980, the IPO board concentrate<\/span>d<\/span> its limited resources on<\/span> a public information campaign to <\/span>improve the public <\/span>image of patents and patent owners. <\/span>In the 1970s and earlier, many patents were invalidated by the courts.\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”34441″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3\/4″][vc_column_text]Many legislative successes took place in the 80s including <\/span>the Process Patent Amendments Act <\/span>of <\/span>1988<\/span> \u2013 which made it infringement to import a product made <\/span>by a patent<\/span>ed<\/span> process — <\/span>and several battles over patent fees.<\/span> During Donald Banner’s presidency,\u00a0he and<\/span> the IPO <\/span>staff<\/span> testified <\/span>about <\/span>30<\/span> times<\/span> before congressional committees.<\/span><\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”34443″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3\/4″][vc_column_text]In 1990, IPO returned <\/span>to education <\/span>for a year<\/span> in a large way<\/span>.<\/span> IPO <\/span>formed<\/span> a <\/span>time<\/span>-limited<\/span> subsidiary, The Foundation for a Creative America,<\/span> to celebrate the 200<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span> anniversary of America\u2019s first patent and copyright laws, enacted in 1<\/span>790<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”34445″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3\/4″][vc_column_text]The Board of Directors<\/span> reorganized the association<\/span>.<\/span> The board <\/span>decided<\/span> to <\/span>increase the membership and <\/span>provide a much wider array of benefits to members.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>From the beginning, t<\/span>he by-laws had called for the IPO president to be elected<\/span> for a 2-year term<\/span>, but the first two presidents, <\/span>well-known <\/span>former heads of the <\/span>U.S. <\/span>Patent and Trademark Office, were re-elected<\/span> for successive terms<\/span>, so that in its first 20 years IPO had only two presidents.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”34447″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3\/4″][vc_column_text]The first IPO <\/span>A<\/span>nnual <\/span>M<\/span>eeting that provided CLE credit and was held outside Washington DC was in San Francisco.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”34449″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3\/4″][vc_column_text]The<\/span> name of the association <\/span>was tweaked<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>IPO<\/span> had been<\/span> incorporated<\/span> in 1972<\/span> as \u201cIntellectual Property Owners, Inc.\u201d<\/span> Later the<\/span> \u201cInc.\u201d was <\/span>omitted<\/span> informally<\/span>. <\/span>I<\/span>n 2007<\/span> the <\/span>name was legally changed to<\/span> \u201cIntellectual Property Owners Association.\u201d\u00a0 The logo \u201cIPO\u201d <\/span>was<\/span> well known, <\/span>so <\/span>the logo<\/span> remain<\/span>ed <\/span>\u201cIPO,\u201d not \u201cIPOA.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”34452″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3\/4″][vc_column_text]IPO government affairs <\/span>representatives, guided by the board, wo<\/span>rk<\/span>ed<\/span> for<\/span> years <\/span>on a series of bills<\/span> that led to the America Invents Act (AIA) in 2011. <\/span>IPO continu<\/span>ed<\/span> to monitor <\/span>AIA-related<\/span> legislation and rulemaking<\/span> after 2011<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span> Legislative<\/span> issues <\/span>arose<\/span> regularly in all areas of IP.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Past Presidents” tab_id=”1554170411142-b7428093-06ac” el_class=”prncple”][vc_custom_heading text=”Past Presidents” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
President<\/td>\nCompany<\/td>\nTerm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Karen Cochran<\/td>\nShell<\/td>\n2022-23<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Daniel Staudt<\/td>\nSiemens Corp.<\/td>\n2020-21<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Henry Hadad<\/td>\nBristol-Myers Squibb Company<\/td>\n2018-19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kevin Rhodes<\/td>\n3M Innovative Properties Co.<\/td>\n2016-17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Phil Johnson<\/td>\nJohnson & Johnson<\/td>\n2014-15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Richard Phillips<\/td>\nExxon Mobil Co.<\/td>\n2012-13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Douglas Norman<\/td>\nEli Lilly and Company<\/td>\n2010-11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Steven Miller<\/td>\nProcter & Gamble Co.<\/td>\n2008-09<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Marc S. Adler<\/td>\nRohm & Haas Co.<\/td>\n2006-07<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
J. Jeffrey Hawley<\/td>\nEastman Kodak Co.<\/td>\n2004-05<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
John K. Williamson<\/td>\nPPG Industries, Inc.<\/td>\n2002-03<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ronald E. Myrick<\/td>\nGeneral Electric, Co.<\/td>\n2000-01<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Norman L. Balmer<\/td>\nUnion Carbide Corp.<\/td>\n1998-99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Erwin F. Berrier, Jr.<\/td>\nGeneral Electric Co.<\/td>\n1997<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gary L. Griswold<\/td>\n\u00a03M Innovative Properties<\/td>\n1995-96<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Roger S. Smith<\/td>\nIBM Corp.<\/td>\n1994-95<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Richard C. Witte<\/td>\nProcter & Gamble Co.<\/td>\n1992-93<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Donald W. Banner<\/td>\nBanner & Witcoff Ltd.<\/td>\n1981-1992<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
William E. Schuyler, Jr.<\/td>\nFormer head of USPTO<\/td>\n1972-1980<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Committees of the Year” tab_id=”1554170411098-b84f2a5d-3dfe” el_class=”vision”][vc_custom_heading text=”Committees of the Year” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text css=””]IPO has awarded a committee of the year for standing IP committees since 2004. For more committee info, visit the committee overview page<\/a>.<\/p>\n