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.

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.

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.

This program builds on the success of the USPTO’s Patent Pro Bono Program, which has matched more than 3,400 under-resourced inventors and small businesses with volunteer patent practitioners to file over 1,800 patent applications. This has totaled more than 84,000 hours of free legal help.

Best known as the inventor of the Segway—a motorized personal vehicle that fell short of some expectations it would replace the automobile—Kamen also developed many revolutionary medical devices including the IBOT Mobility System.

Ochoa was the first Hispanic female in space, an astronaut on the nine-day Space Shuttle Discovery mission in 1993.

Last month on these pages, we told you about the invention of the umbrella that can be protection from April showers. Now we’ll tell you about May flowers—specifically the beginnings of intellectual property protection for new plants and the emergence of plant patents—to celebrate passage of the U.S. Plant Patent Act of 1930, 92 years ago this month.

Not all inventors and entrepreneurs understand what intellectual property (IP) is, or its essential role in protecting their rights. So the USPTO has initiated a pilot program to ultimately reach people in locations where IP has not traditionally been maximized.

Newly confirmed USPTO Director Kathi Vidal will have many responsibilities. One is the authority to designate panels of at least three administrative patent judges in cases filed with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).

In any discussion about Nikola Tesla, the name of his rival—Thomas Edison—is likely to come up.

The USPTO’s new Patent Public Search function, a recently launched, cloud-based platform, is four tools in one. It combines the capabilities of these existing search tools scheduled to be retired in September 2022: Public-Examiner’s Automated Search Tool (PubEAST), Public-Web-based Examiner’s Search Tool (PubWEST), Patent Full-Text and Image Database (PatFT), and Patent Application Full-Text and Image Database (AppFT).

Through the centuries, the umbrella morphed into a fashion statement that was also associated with decorum. Rankine wrote that during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), there was a system of umbrella etiquette at court, much like fan etiquette, with different meanings for different colors and positions.

Gathering strongest prior art is key in an AIA trial proceeding  Your issued patent may mean more to you than adding tangible and intangible value for your invention, or as a source of great pride. It may be crucial for your financial livelihood. So if you find an entity is challenging your patent’s claims before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), you need as strong a defense as possible. These challenges occur in American

If a USPTO patent examiner issues a second or final rejection of your invention, you might consider filing an ex parte appeal to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to overturn it. When preparing an appeal brief outlining how you feel the examiner erred, keep in mind some important requirements and best practices.

Ruth Rogan Benerito was a pioneer in much more than driving safety – her groundbreaking work in textiles included her team’s discovery of wrinkle-resistant cotton.

Born in Lowndes County, Mississippi, in 1857, Baker became a Patent Office employee around 1877. He soon sought to dispel racist claims that his fellow African-Americans could not be inventors. He began a list of such inventors throughout U.S. history.

The PTAB website provides useful information about the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and the types of proceedings it conducts. Becoming acquainted with the website also helps you learn where to find additional information.

Although superlatives are commonplace in the marketing of an invention or service, there are few loftier accolades than “the real McCoy.”