Joel Blank serves as the intellectual property (IP) attaché at the US Embassy in Beijing, China. In this capacity, Blank serves as the principal officer within the embassy on matters related to the protection and enforcement of IP rights in China and as a primary liaison between the embassy and relevant offices of the Chinese government for such matters. His duties include helping to develop, promote and implement US government policies that will facilitate the ability of rights holders to protect and enforce their IP rights in China; apprising the ambassador and other embassy officials of important IP developments; and serving as a point of contact for US companies that have questions on China’s IP environment.
Prior to his appointment as the IP attaché, Blank was an attorney-advisor in the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As a member of the office’s Enforcement Team, Blank specialized in developing the USPTO’s policy on China-related IP matters, particularly those concerning enforcement. Prior to joining the USPTO, he was a senior attorney in the US Department of Commerce’s Office of the Chief Counsel for International Commerce (OCCIC), where he advised the International Trade Administration on international trade law issues. While at OCCIC, Blank specialized in international intellectual property, investment, competition and China-related legal issues.
Blank graduated magna cum laude from American University’s Washington College of Law, where he served as the editor-in-chief of the American University International Law Review. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Drake University, where he graduated magna cum laude with majors in international business, accounting, and management.
