UPDATE:Bill Richardson**Judd Gregg** will be the next Secretary of Commerce...Not!

Third time is a charm. Your next Secretary of Commerce is...Gary Locke.

Bill Richardson **Judd Gregg** is President-Elect Barack Obama's choice for big cheese at the Department of Commerce, under which the Patent and Trademark Office falls. **Update: As of Sunday, Jan. 4, Richardson has removed his name from the nomination process because of an investigation of a company that has done business with the state of New Mexico.** Richardson's resume includes stints in congress, as an ambassador to the United Nations, as Secretary of Energy, and, most recently as Governor of New Mexico. If you're interested, there's an excellent short biography of Richardson in Biography Resource Center, accessible through our Articles and Databases page (library card required).

Position changes aren't limited to top cabinet jobs. Every four years, just after the election, the Federal government (specifically, alternating committees in both houses of Congress) publishes a book of appointments that are open to noncompetitive appointment by the incoming administration. The official title of the book is the "United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions," but you can call it the Plum Book. (Fun fact: unlike most funny names associated with the government, plum is not an acronym, but rather a reference to the purply color of the book's cover.) Follow this link and scroll to the bottom of the page to see which positions in the USPTO will be subject to change with the incoming administration.

Speaking of the incoming administration, it doesn't look like there have been many developments in President-Elect Obama's plans for intellectual property policy since we took a look at them during the campaign. Here is an excerpt from the change.gov section on the incoming administration's technology agenda:

• Protect American Intellectual Property at Home: Update and reform our copyright and patent systems to promote civic discourse, innovation, and investment while ensuring that intellectual property owners are fairly treated.
• Reform the Patent System: Ensure that our patent laws protect legitimate rights while not stifling innovation and collaboration. Give the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) the resources to improve patent quality and open up the patent process to citizen review to help foster an environment that encourages innovation. Reduce uncertainty and wasteful litigation that is currently a significant drag on innovation.