Efforts by high-tech companies to undermine both the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act of 2023 and the Promoting and Respecting Economically Vital American Innovation Leadership Act ramped up in mid-March, via a joint letter sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee by a number of tech industry organizations and a campaign launched by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were designated as Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRCs) in 2023, and the USPTO plans to add more. The three are the John B. Cade Library at Southern University and A&M College, John B. Coleman Library at Prairie View A&M University, and Miller F. Whittaker Library at South Carolina State University. Howard University’s Founders Library was designated a PTRC in 1986.
We have done many things at the USPTO to push those doors of opportunity wide open, but I want to highlight a few in particular that I need your help in sharing with others. Collectively, they make access to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) easier and more transparent than ever, for both legal practitioners and the inventors they represent.
Grenada innovation workshop was memorable for beautiful innovation, people and scenery. Once the sample projects were completed, teams had the afternoon to use the parts to build their own prototypes and work on their digital prototypes.
As innovative products continue to emerge, what are some of the ways for inventors to reach a wider audience for effectively launching their inventions?
In 1979, Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller, and Polly Smith received U.S. Patent No. 4,174,717 for the athletic brassiere, or “Jogbra.” More than 40 years after their invention, they gathered in the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum in Alexandria, Virginia, to discuss their experiences as pioneers in the women’s fitness industry and to reminisce about their days as young friends and creators.
Woman’s inventing experience reveals production, design and expense challenges. After your first year or two, when sales appear to be at their peak, approach manufacturers who have a product line in which your product would fit.
A small, unknown percentage of inventors are entrepreneurial, and a small, unknown percentage of entrepreneurs are inventive. All traits, talents and driving forces of the inventor and entrepreneur are combined. Hence, the Inventrepreneur.
The Patent Pro Bono Program’s “Pathways to Inclusive Innovation” event, April 12 at Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, has roots that extend 14 years and about 1,100 miles to the north. A 2010 lunch in Minneapolis between two renowned patent professionals sparked food for thought that eventually became an invaluable and historically significant resource for financially challenged inventors.
Key factors in a licensing agreement may vary in importance, depending on the inventor and situation. No one can claim definitively what should be the most important factor in a licensing agreement.
Sharing the journey of how an invention came to be, the challenges faced throughout the development process, and triumphs achieved create a powerful connection with listeners.
The 2024 class of the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) literally ranges from A to Z—with a similarly broad scope of inventors and their accomplishments. Signature accomplishments in the fields of cancer-fighting therapy, DNA sequencing, wireless networking, automotive safety, and even theatrical special effects are among those highlighted with this year’s inductees.