Patent Zombie (No. 3).
Reproduced with the permission of the author
Timothy J. Riesen
Patent Draftsman
(440) 985-8252
Tim@patentlawdesigns.com
JW Note: Wishing all of our readers a prosperous 2013!!!
Patent Attorney Gifting Suggestion – The Art of the Patent, by Kevin Prince.
Looking for that perfect gift for your favorite patent attorney? We at the AT! suggest that you consider The Art of the Patent by Kevin Prince, an inventor and U.S. Patent Agent.
To many in the public, patents are considered “boring”. Be that as it may, many patents have unique and sometimes beautiful illustrations, which are often required to show the inventions being claimed. Taken from a collection of both ordinary and historically noteworthy patents, spanning over 200 years, The Art of the Patent is a compilation of some of the best patent drawings ever created. It is sure to be appreciated by patent attorneys and inventors alike.
The Art of the Patent is available in both hardcover and paperback, and may be purchased from Amazon.com. Be sure to add it to your collection today!
USPTO Elijah J. McCoy Detroit Office Grand Opening Gala.
JW Note: Attended the USPTO Elijah J. McCoy Detroit Office Grand Opening Gala yesterday evening at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. Met a number of new Patent Examiners and Administrative Patent Judges (APJs). Excited to have a satellite patent office located nearby! This is a great opportunity for Detroit and the surrounding region.
U.S. Commerce Department to Open Four Regional U.S. Patent Offices.
Via a press release this morning from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
U.S. Commerce Department to Open Four Regional U.S. Patent Offices That Will Speed Up the Patent Process and Help American Businesses Innovate, Grow, and Create Jobs
For the First Time, USPTO Will Expand Operations Outside Washington, DC, to Dallas, Denver, and Silicon Valley, in Addition to Detroit, Which Opens July 13
WASHINGTON – Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) David Kappos today announced plans to open regional USPTO offices in or around Dallas, Texas, Denver, Colorado, and Silicon Valley, California. These offices are in addition to the already-announced first USPTO satellite office to open on July 13 in Detroit, Michigan. The four offices will function as hubs of innovation and creativity, helping protect and foster American innovation in the global marketplace, helping businesses cut through red tape, and creating new economic opportunities in each of the local communities. Next week, Acting Secretary Blank and Under Secretary Kappos will travel to each of the newly selected cities to meet with local businesses, entrepreneurs and public officials to discuss the new office openings.
“Intellectual property protection and innovation are engines of economic growth and the bedrock of America’s private sector,” said Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank. “The Obama administration is committed to making certain our businesses and entrepreneurs have the resources they need to grow, create jobs and compete globally. These new offices are an historic step toward further advancing our world’s best IP system, and reinforcing the United States as the number one destination for innovation capital, and research and development around the world.”
The offices announced today will help the USPTO attract talented IP experts throughout the country who will work closely with entrepreneurs to process patent applications, reduce the backlog of unexamined patents, and speed up the overall process, allowing businesses to move their innovation to market more quickly, and giving them more room to create new jobs.
“By expanding our operation outside of the Washington metropolitan area for the first time in our agency’s 200-plus year history, we are taking unprecedented steps to recruit a diverse range of talented technical experts, creating new opportunities across the American workforce,” said David Kappos, Director of the USPTO. “These efforts, in conjunction with our ongoing implementation of the America Invents Act, are improving the effectiveness of our IP system, and breathing new life into the innovation ecosystem.”
Patents are a significant factor in private sector job creation. In fact, the U.S. Commerce Department issued a recent report finding that IP-intensive industries are the source – directly or indirectly – of 40 million jobs, contributing $5.06 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2010.
Selection of the four sites was based upon a comprehensive analysis of criteria including geographical diversity, regional economic impact, ability to recruit and retain employees, and the ability to engage the intellectual property community. The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act of 2011 (AIA), signed into law by President Obama in September, requires the USPTO to establish regional satellite locations as part of a larger effort to modernize the U.S. patent system over the next three years.
Since the passage of the AIA, the USPTO and the Department of Commerce have been committed to an open, robust, and fair site selection process based on extensive public input. In addition to reviewing over 600 public comments in response to a public Federal Register Notice, USPTO officials met with hundreds of state and local officials, congressional delegations, and policy leaders, as requested. The selection team developed a model to evaluate over 50 Metropolitan Statistical Areas based on the previously stated criteria to assess operational cost and feasibility, ability to improve patent quality, and ability to employ U.S. veterans.
The USPTO is working to develop concept of operations for the three newly-announced locations based on the Elijah J. McCoy Detroit Office and will develop best practices based on this model over the coming months and years. The Detroit office will employ approximately 120 individuals in its first year of operations. The USPTO also seeks to identify and maximize the unique regional strengths of all four offices to further reduce the backlog of patent applications and appeals.
The USPTO team plans to begin site procurement activity and establish a timeline for the three newly-announced locations in the coming months.
For additional background on the selection criteria and methodology, please click here.
For non-press inquiries pertaining to the satellite site selection, please contact Azam Khan, USPTO deputy chief of staff at azam.khan@uspto.gov.
CNNMoney Article – Holy &%$! Inventions.
Interesting article at CNNMoney today, on the topic of transformative technologies - http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2012/technology/1203/gallery.wild-inventions/index.html . Enjoy!
USPTO Announces Location for Elijah J. McCoy Satellite Office in Detroit, MI.
Per a press release from the U.S. Patent Office earlier today.
USPTO Announces Location for Elijah J. McCoy Satellite Office in Detroit
Riverfront office space confirmed; Agency targets July 2012 opening
WASHINGTON—The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced on Jan. 11, 2012 that it has concluded a five-year lease agreement through the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Great Lakes Region for a 31,000 square foot space to be located at 300 River Place Dr. in Detroit, Michigan 48207. The building, listed on the National Historic Registry, was the former home to Parke-Davis Laboratories as well as the Stroh’s Brewery Headquarters.
“Today marks the beginning of an important new chapter in the Agency’s 200-plus year history,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office David Kappos. “We are expanding our operation outside of the Washington metropolitan area as part of our ongoing effort to recruit and retain the nation’s top professionals.”
The agency plans to open the Elijah J. McCoy United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO-Detroit Office) no later than July 2012. The USPTO Detroit Office is expected to create more than 100 high-paying, high-skill jobs in its first year and provide a boost to the region’s innovation economy.
The USPTO will be building out the new facilities to Agency specifications during the next few months and expects to post vacancy announcements for patent examiner positions this spring. Prospective employees should email detroithiring@uspto.gov for more information.
Subject to available resources and as provided for in the America Invents Act, the USPTO intends to establish at least two more satellite offices in addition the USPTO-Detroit office in the next three years.
The USPTO has called for public comments regarding these additional satellite offices. Comments should be submitted by Jan. 30, 2012 to satelliteoffices@uspto.gov or as otherwise dictated in the USPTO’s Federal Register notice.
AT! 2011 Year In Review.
JW Note: Wishing all of our readers a Safe and Happy New Year!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 36,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 13 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
They Invented What? (No. 211)
U.S. Pat. No. 7,591,569: Christmas holiday access, indicator, and mementos key method and apparatus.
JW Note: Wishing a Happy Holidays to all! See you in 2012!
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Children have believed in Santa Claus (under any the many known names) for hundreds of years. No matter what incarnation, whether it is the Magi King, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, etc., the tradition is still very much alive in the 21st century. One thing that has changed is children’s sophistication. The Santa legend evokes images of the jolly toy maker flying with the reindeer, landing on roofs, and entering homes via chimneys to deliver treasures on Christmas Eve. The problem is that children in modern times, living in an age of apartment complexes, condominiums, and a host of other domiciles without chimneys or fireplaces, tend to be more inquisitive, and want to know just how Santa Claus will pay them a visit if they don’t have chimney access. Will he have to break the door down or pick the lock and trip off the security alarm? Will their homes be bypassed and presents given to other children if Santa Claus can’t find a way in?
Accordingly, there is an established need for a Christmas decoration and associated method, that in addition to remaining true to the decorative parameters of bright, festive ornamentation during the holiday season, also provides children with an explanation for Santa Claus’s ability to enter their homes, allaying their fears and concerns over missing out on their presents on Christmas morning.
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A holiday key entertainment method, the holiday key entertainment method comprising the steps of: illuminating an illumination source, wherein the illumination source is located within a holiday key, the holiday key being an oversized key shaped apparatus comprising a key handle section and a key blade section; securing the holiday key to an object on an outside of a residence; and informing a child that the holiday key is being placed outside such that a holiday persona can utilize the holiday key as a means for unlocking a door to the residence.
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