Kole, Patrick

Patrick Kole is the Vice President, Legal & Government Affairs for the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC).  Mr. Kole has practiced law for the past fourty-two (42) years. He has specialized for the last thirty-one (31) years with the IPC, where he focuses on legal and policy issues impacting agriculture; market access issues, including developing new markets for Idaho® potatoes; and research and technology issues. Mr. Kole has litigated certification mark cases, registered certification marks in jurisdictions around the world and developed legislation that amended the U.S. Lanham act. He has testified before the U.S. Congress several times. Mr. Kole also manages IPC’s government affairs at the Federal, State and local levels and directs the IPC’s Trademark licensing program. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Legal Anthropology and a Law Degree from The University of Denver.

Mr. Kole has served on several committees of the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the American Bar Association and he is currently Subcommittee Chairman of the INTA Existing Rights/Enforcement Subcommittee. He has recently completed serving two terms on the Plant Variety Protection Board of the United States Department of Agriculture. He has made presentations to the American Bar Association, WIPO, and OriGIn - Organization for International Geographic Indicators Network; and lectured at universities and civic organizations.