Author name: Inventors Digest

In December 1836, a catastrophic fire at the United States Patent Office destroyed records of American innovation kept since the earliest days of the Republic. We call patents from this era (1790-1836) “X-patents” —not because they’re shrouded in mystery (although they are), but because they predate the numbering system now in use.

Today, the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund facilitates international projects for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world.

Judges at the USPTO’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) sit in three-judge panels and decide every case based on the applicable law and specific facts in the record. They need to explain their reasoning in a written decision, stating why the prevailing party won the case.

EquIP HQ is a new, web-based portal with free educational resources designed for K-12 educators and learners that expand student learning, creativity and innovation through STEM-based lesson plans. The appointment was announced by Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director Kathi Vidal.

He holds more than 50 U.S. patents, with many more pending. But Thomas David Petite says he is merely following the rich inventing heritage of his Native American ancestors.

The theme of this year’s three-day USPTO virtual event, held August 10-12, was “Inspiring and redefining the innovative mindset.” From the opening remarks of Inventors Digest publisher and Enventys CEO Louis Foreman to the late-afternoon panel on small business success stories on Day 3, the presentations teemed with inspiration and information.

Every year, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) issues thousands of decisions from ex parte (for one party) appeals, reexamination appeals, and America Invents Act trial proceedings. Although all decisions handed down by the board are considered “routine,” certain decisions receive the special designation “precedential” or “informative.”

Longtime IP professional Derrick Brent is the new deputy undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property and deputy director of the USPTO, effective August 1. The announcement was made by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Kathi Vidal.

Ray Dolby wasn’t afraid of the unknown. He accepted it as a known fact of inventing.

Wozniak was the main tech muscle behind the invention for which he is best known: the first true personal computer.

Equity is not just a current trend. It is a commitment to empowerment for all innovators that has far-reaching effects for society as a whole. The USPTO’s new inclusive innovation web resource details the importance of this commitment.