Startups urge PTO director to prioritize balance and inclusion. This week, over 50 startups, investors, and innovation support organizations sent a letter to congratulate Kathi Vidal on her new role as Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) and to urge her to lead the agency with an eye towards the needs and experiences of the nation’s tech startups. For the startup ecosystem, the patent system can play a valuable role toward supporting innovation, but it has just as much potential to stifle progress when it isn’t working well.

As JOBS Act turns 10, capital access policies back in the spotlight. This week, policymakers are turning their attention to opening up avenues for capital access. Ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Senate Banking Committee Republicans unveiled a draft for the JOBS Act 4.0, focused on accelerating economic growth and spurring new business formation.

The Big Story: Potential privacy bill back on the table. Policymakers across the aisle and in both chambers are restarting conversations about creating a long-awaited, comprehensive privacy bill. Conversations about a federal privacy bill aren’t new for this Congress, and the issue has remained a top priority for the startup ecosystem for years.

Big story: New copyright bill would increase cost, risk for startups that host user content. Last week, Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced the Strengthening Measures to Advance Rights Technologies Copyright Act of 2022—legislation that would amend Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). While the bill is ostensibly aimed at large Internet platforms, it would tee up complex and costly frameworks for Internet startups that encounter user-generated content like comments, reviews, or original artwork.

The Big Story: Startups, tech groups, and more urge Congress to remove harmful trademark bill from innovation legislation. This week, Engine joined an expansive coalition of industry, civil society, and academic voices in urging Congress to remove a problematic bill that would dramatically shift the landscape for e-commerce startups and small, online businesses from must-pass legislative proposals.

The Big Story: Biden touches on tech during the State of the Union. During the annual State of the Union Address this week, President Joe Biden touched on several of the administration’s policy goals that will impact startup founders, investors, and support organizations across the country.

The Big Story: Celebrating Black founders, calling for a more equitable ecosystem. Black startup founders across the country are a crucial part of the startup ecosystem, despite the many barriers they face. As Black history month draws to a close, Engine wanted to recognize some of the important contributions of Black founders in our network and urge policymakers to advance policy solutions that create more opportunities for underrepresented founders, especially Black founders.