Peter-Anthony Pappas Officially Joins U.S. International Trade Commission as Commissioner

Peter-Anthony Pappas was sworn in as a Member of the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) on August 3, 2026. The ceremony was conducted by ITC Chairman Brett Doyle. Pappas’s appointment follows his nomination by President Donald Trump in June 2026 for a term expiring on June 16, 2035.

Prior to joining the ITC, Pappas served as Director of Intellectual Property Policy for the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary under Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC). Senator Tillis, who currently chairs the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property and is retiring at the end of 2026, delivered remarks during the swearing-in ceremony.

During the Senate Finance Committee hearing on Pappas’s nomination, Senator Tillis submitted 34 letters of support from various intellectual property organizations. Among these was the Council for Innovation Promotion (C4IP), which highlighted Pappas’s “valuable technical expertise” gained through his experience at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and in the Senate.

Before his tenure with the Senate Judiciary Committee, Pappas held several significant positions related to intellectual property. He was a Professional Staff Member Detailee for the Senate Judiciary Committee and served as a Special Advisor Detailee to Andrei Iancu, the then-Director of the USPTO. In this advisory role, Pappas contributed to policy development on IP, artificial intelligence (AI), and agency operations.

Among his notable contributions, Pappas played a key role in developing the 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance (PEG), a framework praised by the IP community and spearheaded by Director Iancu. He also helped establish the USPTO’s inaugural working group on AI and IP and contributed to creating a framework for using AI to assist with prior art searches during patent examination.

Pappas’s career at the USPTO also includes experience as a Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Branch Chief Detailee, Supervisory Patent Examiner, Primary Patent Examiner, and Patent Examiner.

The swearing-in of Pappas is viewed positively by IP professionals. Retired Chief Judge Susan G. Braden commented, “Peter-Anthony Pappas will be a tremendous asset to the USITC as a Commissioner.”

The ITC plays a critical role in adjudicating trade disputes involving intellectual property rights, and Pappas’s extensive background in patent policy and AI integration is expected to enhance the Commission’s expertise.

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