Karmis, Stefanos

Stefanos Karmis currently serves as an acting Deputy Commissioner for Patents. In this role, Mr. Karmis provides executive oversight for the divisions in the Office of International Patent Cooperation, which lead Patents’ efforts related to international IP cooperation, harmonization, and outreach, as well as oversight over Technology Centers 2600 and 3700, which respectively handle the examination of patent applications related to the technologies of communication and mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and medical devices and processes. 

Prior to this acting role, Mr. Karmis has held positions as the Director of the Office of International Patent Legal Administration as well as the Director of the Office of Patent Quality Assurance.  Mr. Karmis started his career in the USPTO in 2002 as a patent examiner in business methods and later became a Supervisory Patent Examiner, overseeing several mechanical engineering technologies.

Mr. Karmis holds a J.D. from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law and a B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech.