JOURNEYS OF INNOVATION J. Kevin White brings practical solutions to communities that lack basic eye health care  BY WHITNEY PANDIL-EATON Accompanied by his wife, Rebecca, and two teenage sons, military veteran and inventor Kevin White traveled some 7,000 miles by plane from Maryland to Namibia and then drove hours more through the rugged, baked Namib desert of Namibia to test the vision diagnostic equipment he had spent more than a decade perfecting and to ask

NEWS FLASH PHOTO BY MICHAEL CONNOR/USPTO Nancy U. Kamei has been appointed the USPTO’s first chief public engagement officer and director of its Office of Public Engagement (OPE). Launched in spring 2024, the OPE advances the USPTO’s mission of increasing participation in the innovation ecosystem by consolidating many of the agency’s outreach, education, and customer experience leaders under one office, enhancing the agency’s commitment to reach more Americans with intellectual property resources. Before joining the

LEARN ABOUT IP BASICS: Learn about patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets from USPTO experts in the free online program “Intellectual Property Basics and Helpful Resources,” November 7 and December 5 from noon to 1:30 ET. Also discover potential ways to protect your innovation as you move from idea to product.  The USPTO’s Midwest Elijah J. McCoy Regional Outreach Office offers this session the first Thursday of each month. Space is limited, so register early. 

Slew of newly opening Patent and Trademark Resource Centers help innovators protect their IP. For inventors and entrepreneurs who cannot travel to get help in the early stages of protecting their intellectual property (IP), the USPTO is coming to you. In the past year, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Kathi Vidal sent letters to hundreds of libraries across the country inviting them to become Patent and Trademark Resource

Blinded by a childhood accident, Ralph Teetor went on to a legendary career in automotive engineering and inventing that included cruise control  BY MATT GRAHAM Photo courtesy of Jack Teetor Under the pale light of the moon they worked: racing from one end of the machine to the other, tightening bolts, checking belt tensions, and configuring wheel alignment—kicking up clouds of dust with each excited footstep. One 12-year-old boy sprinted to the family’s workshop to

NEWS FLASH The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has announced the launch of its newest program, Invention Ambassadors, created in partnership with the USPTO.  The program is composed of accomplished inventors, innovators, entrepreneurs, and commercialization experts who will take part in speaking engagements across the nation. Through these engagements, the NAI Invention Ambassadors aim to celebrate and showcase the importance of academic invention, share best practices for the innovation ecosystem, and inspire the creation of

USPTO, Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention team up for invention education activities highlighting mealtime delights Have you ever used a potato peeler to whip some spuds into a classic side dish? How about a cooking rack to ensure the perfect roast on your chosen bird?  If so, you have the hard work of inventors to thank for your delicious Thanksgiving feast. The USPTO wants to help celebrate and educate inventors on innovative kitchen mealtime

The Rocky Mountain Office serves Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Inventors in this region have received more than 126,000 patents in the past ten years. Women inventors were named on 21 percent of the total patents, compared to about 13 percent for the United States as a whole.

Ma’s honor recognizes his leadership and dedication in advancing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the patent examination process. He and his team have also helped shape USPTO policies to address AI’s evolving role in intellectual property and innovation.

New TTAB functionality: As part of the USPTO’s efforts to modernize its systems and improve customer experience, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) Center open beta has been launched for filing notices of opposition. An opposition is a TTAB proceeding in which a party may challenge the registration of a trademark.

Every October, the USPTO dives into the patent and trademark archives to find some eerie, spooky, and haunting examples of creepy IP, or intellectual property. This monthlong campaign–known as #CreepyIP–began in 2011 as a fun way to educate the public about the importance of intellectual property by embracing the Halloween spirit.

She was speaking at the National Summer Teacher Institute, an educational program run by the USPTO. The annual program offers teachers the opportunity to learn more about invention and intellectual property, knowledge they can bring back to the classroom.