As an attorney in the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the USPTO and the USPTO’s Tribal Affairs Liaison, Susan Anthony has committed most of her career to protecting indigenous knowledge and empowering indigenous communities. 

In this episode, Susan shares where her passion for helping indigenous communities originated, what she loves most about her work, and some of the most memorable moments of her time spent addressing indigenous IP and cultural heritage issues.

There are 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States, each with their own forms of knowledge and cultural expressions that the Western world can learn an immense amount from.  

In This Episode:

[00:52] Introducing Susan Anthony, an attorney in the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the USPTO.

[02:04] What Susan loves about her job.  

[04:04] The personal story that led Susan to her current position. 

[06:43] How the WIPO IGC connects the USPTO to organizations in other countries dealing with cultural heritage issues. 

[08:45] Examples of the resources that the USPTO provides to indigenous communities.

[14:50] USPTO programs that empower indigenous communities. 

[15:01] The number of tribes in the United States and the importance of being sensitive to their differences when developing programs to meet their needs.  

[16:35] How the WIPO IGC defines traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.

[19:17] Stories that highlight the meaningful difference that the USPTO is making in the lives of indigenous community members. 

[21:59] Different definitions of success.  

[24:44] The challenges of safeguarding indigenous knowledge through IP mechanisms. 

[26:41] The importance of cultivating greater collaboration between indigenous people and the broader IP community. 

[28:03] Organizations offering various forms of support to indigenous communities.

Resources:

Susan Anthony on LinkedIn

Susan Anthony Email Address

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

World Intellectual Property Organization Intergovernmental Committee WIPO IGC 

National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI)

When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through

American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)