WASHINGTON D.C. - Thomas Sydnor will join The Progress & Freedom Foundation next month as a Senior Fellow and PFF's Director of the Center for the Study of Digital Property (IPcentral). Sydnor offers the Foundation over a decade of expertise in intellectual property law and policy, most recently serving as a copyright advisor in the Office of International Relations at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

"We are delighted that Tom Sydnor has agreed to join our team at PFF and lead our IP program," said PFF Acting President Thomas Lenard. "This is a critically important area and Tom is ideally suited to bring the work of IPcentral to the next level."

"I'm very excited about joining PFF," Sydnor said. "IP issues are so important to the health and growth of the digital economy and PFF provides a unique platform for participating in the current debates and influencing policy."

Before joining the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Sydnor served as Counsel for Intellectual Property and Technology for the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. During his time with the Committee, Sydnor helped to secure Senate passage of various pieces of legislation in the 108th Congress, including the Protecting Intellectual Rights Against Theft and Expropriation (PIRATE) Act, the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act, and the Intellectual Property Protection and Courts Amendments Act. He also helped to negotiate proposed legislation on diversion of patent fees from the USPTO. Prior to his work with the U.S. Senate, Sydnor worked in private practice at two major law firms, specializing in intellectual property law. Sydnor is a graduate of Duke Law School.

Sydnor will lead the efforts of PFF's Center for the Study of Digital Property (IPcentral), an established center supported by the premise that the free market and strong property rights protection, rather than regulation, is still the best way to organize economic activity for both physical and digital goods.

The Progress & Freedom Foundation is a market-oriented think tank that studies the digital revolution and its implications for public policy. It is a 501(c)(3) research & educational organization.