Author name: Inventors Digest

When a collaboration goes wrong: A look at rare derivation proceedings before the PTAB. If you as an inventor find yourself in this situation, what can you do?

On the morning of September 20, 2017, as the roar of Hurricane Maria gave way to an ominous silence under an overcast sky, Vanessa Carballido Clerch and her parents made their way down a residential street in Guaynabo, a suburb of San Juan, Puerto Rico, back to the home they had evacuated in the middle of the night.

To get a patent, an inventor must file a patent application at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This article explains the patent process in general, what actions you can take, and how the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) may figure into the process.

We’ve come a long way from the first U.S. design patent, which did not even involve a drawing. According to USPTO projections, the 1 millionth U.S. design patent may potentially be issued in October of this year.

Patent claims capture the scope of an invention and define the meets-and-bounds of protection available for the invention. A patent’s written description describes the invention and informs the meaning of the terms used in the patent claims. The USPTO interprets the meaning of words in the claims by referring primarily to the written description—and, on occasion, to other sources. 

Damian Earley’s participation in Ohio Invention League helped propel him to invention successes, and motivate siblings. Damian was introduced to the invention league through a school assembly in second grade.

If an examiner has twice rejected your claims or issued a final rejection of your patent application, you may file an appeal before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or the Board).

Panelists at “Invention-Con 2023: Building Tomorrow’s Innovation” were powerful reminders of the collaborative spirit of inventing and entrepreneurship; the indisputable importance of intellectual property; and a world of resources that are waiting to be utilized.

One year into my role as director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office—at the intersection of IP law, policy, and innovation—I am focused on impact.

In the 1880s, second assistant patent examiner Henry E. Baker took on a project that became his legacy: compiling the first list of African American patent holders. By studying and expanding on Baker’s work, we can get a much fuller picture of Black creators, trailblazers, and disruptors who helped invent modern America.

Pleasant Rowland’s Pleasant Company was a major risk: pricey toys and books for pre-teen girls that taught them about history. The 45-year-old former teacher and successful textbook author had gone with her husband to a conference.