Patent Office Nominee Gets Backing of Republican Sen. Tillis

Sen. Thom Tillis announced he will vote in favor of Kathi Vidal, President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Tillis (R-N.C.), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, said he received a commitment from Vidal to support and build on former director Andrei Iancu’s policies at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Tillis is the first Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee to support Vidal. Offices for other Republican senators on the committee didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. A committee spokesperson said she was eligible for a vote starting ...