Remarks by Director Squires — Great American State Fair Ribbon Cutting

Remarks as delivered

John A. Squires, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO

Great American State Fair Ribbon Cutting

June 25, 2026

Good morning, everyone.

Thank you for that kind introduction, Jason, and what an unbelievable honor to be here as we count down to America's 250th Anniversary celebration.

It's such an honor to steward America's Innovation Agency - the great USPTO - at a time when innovation has never been more prominent, important, and indeed embodied by any Administration, with innovation powerhouses in their own right like our very own Secretary Lutnick, a named inventor on over 500 patents.

By comparison, Thomas Alva Edison had 1093. And the sum total of the 40 previous Commerce Secretaries before Secretary Lutnick - to put in terms as we're all getting used to saying as FIFA fans - is exactly "nil." Amazing.

And of course, it almost goes without saying that President Donald J. Trump is the most brilliant creator and generator of brand value the world has ever seen! They understand the importance of intellectual property - they embody it - and intellectual property is exactly what we're here to celebrate today at our digital exhibit, entitled "250 Years of American Innovation." There's nothing like it. It's propelled a nation, changed the world, saved the world, and as a result, we unquestionably lead the world. There's just so, so much to celebrate today at our Great American State Fair exhibit.

And it's for a very good, and uniquely American reason.

You see, back in 1776, the first seeds of independence began with an idea by our Founders that every person was endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

That spark fueled the fires of freedom, ultimately alighting the entire world, and took hold with our hard-won independence, as America became, anew, the birthplace of modern democracy.

Then, something even more remarkable happened. Subtly, but profoundly, as our young nation created its governance structure and guiding document - the likes of which had never been seen before - our Founders went further, and enshrined IP protection into the very heart of the American Constitution in Article I, Section 8, clause 8. For you, and me, and every American, our Constitution secures for a limited time "to Authors and Inventors the EXCLUSIVE RIGHT to their respective writings and discoveries."

And there it is.

The word "right."

It's the only recitation of a "right" in the textual document itself. Otherwise, you have to look to the first 10 amendments - our Bill of Rights. But here it is unto itself - boldly, remarkably, daringly, beautifully - and ultimately singularly appearing in Article 1 amongst the Seven articles of the "Constitution Proper." So it should come as no surprise - but it always astonishes - that the USPTO is in fact one of the oldest federal missions in our government.

Before there was a Department of Treasury.

Before there was a Department of State.

Before there were most of the institutions we now take for granted in the Executive Branch - there was an affirmative, indelible commitment for these brand new United States - to innovation. Yes, the United States Patent and Trademark Office grants patents and registers trademarks and when we do this - we create a positive chain reaction;

A butterfly effect;

A flywheel…

One person's inspiration will spur another's curiosity.

This generates further innovation, and more curiosity,

And so on. And so on. And so on.

New ideas generate even more new ideas.

It is an amazing engine that has spectacularly spurred innovation and advanced society at a pace unmatched by any other country or society in history - even to this day.

How well is it working? Well, patents are numbered sequentially and in 1790, President George Washington signed the first U.S. patent, Patent No. 1, which you should check out as you enjoy our exhibit. Fast forward to President Trump's first term and on June 19, 2018, Donald J. Trump, affixed his signature to U.S. Patent No. 10 Million.

And this time next year, I look forward to President Trump signing U.S. Patent No. 13 Million. That's 13 Million new inventions, improvements, advances in our quality of life - since America was born - that the world would never have otherwise seen.

But for America.

From the birth of the Republic, innovation has been central to the American experiment itself, is-and-of the American Experience itself. It is the very bedrock of American Exceptionalism itself.

For more than two centuries of invention, that exceptionalism has been steam engines and steel, electricity and aviation, semiconductors and software, biotechnology and artificial intelligence.

And in marks of trade, we've enjoyed green stamps, gold arches, red labels on soda water, white milk mustaches, and denim blue jeans,

And for all of us who have World Cup fever - as America remarkably co-hosts in our 250th year and wildly supports our Men's National Team - just dominating! - we are displaying the 1993 trademark for Major League Soccer, established as part of the United States' successful bid to host the FIFA World Cup, back in 1994.

That's just a tiny, tiny fraction of how innovation touches our daily lives. I could regale you with 13 million stories - but! - see for yourselves, touch and experience the innovation at our exhibit that has touched all our lives.

For us, at America's Innovation Agency, in America's 250th year, our mission remains the same as when the word "right" was at the tip of a quill pen and inscribed on Constitutional parchment just as it is written into every Americans' DNA.

These rights and protections we grant enable entrepreneurs to compete and investors to believe.

Every piece of IP we put into circulation is a potential job, a new business, a competitive advantage, an investible asset. And is yet another win for both society and the Constitutional foresight of our Founders and the very freedoms they envisioned in 1776.

With that, I'm thrilled to welcome all of you to search for your favorite brands and experience your most treasured technologies at our exhibit.

The displays highlight how innovators from sea to shining sea have made our world safer, brighter, better - advanced our technological progress, national security, and ultimately created economic prosperity for both these 50 wonderful and United States - and of course our families.

Thank you for being here.

I also want to thank Secretary Lutnick and President Donald J. Trump, Vu Technologies, Jason Clark and his amazing semi-quincentennial team - truly - and everyone who made this event possible. Thank you!

Now, please join us for the ribbon cutting.

# # #