US Patent Number 8,000,000 Not 8 Millionth Patent
On August 16, 2011 the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued patent number 8,000,000 to Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. but even though it was number 8,000,000 it wasn’t really the 8 millionth patent. The first United States patent was issued, signed by George Washington himself, in 1790 to Samuel Hopkins for his […]
USPTO Issues Patent Number 8,000,000
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued US patent number 8,000,000 on August 16, 2011. I’ve been considering writing a blog post for the last month or so about who will receive United States patent number 8,000,000 and as it turns out on Friday, August 19th my law office received a patent that […]
Trademark Application: More than Filling out a Form
My name is Alyssa Helfer, I’m a senior at Northwestern University and am hoping to go to law school after I graduate. Interning at the Kloss, Stenger and LoTempio law firm this summer has been filled with new experiences; most recently, this included attempting to prepare a trademark application to file on the USPTO website […]
PATENTS & INVENTIONS SERIES Part 2
In my last column on this blog I shared some of my conversation with my neighbor, Jim, about suitable subject matter for a patentable invention. (If you missed that column, you can find it in the archives of this blog.) I also mentioned that, since Jim is an independent inventor and interested in getting a […]
Inventors Hall of Fame: Harry Coover
Inventor Harry Coover Born March 6, 1917 – Died March 26, 2011 Invention: Superglue Patent Number 2,768,109; Patent Issued October 23, 1956 Inducted to National Inventors Hall of Fame™ in 2004 Some of the most useful products in our daily lives were developed completely by accident— and among these is Superglue. While working as a […]
Kodak Seeks to Profit from Patent Portfolio
Eastman Kodak Company announced that it is “exploring strategic alternatives related to its digital imaging patent portfolios, a move reflecting the current heightened market demand for intellectual property.” Does this mean they’re going to try to leverage their patent portfolio against other competitors in lawsuits? Can you say “patent troll”? Some people think that maybe […]
Interview With PTIS Co-founder Brian Wagner
One of the things I enjoy about law blogging is my opportunity to interview thought leaders in the intellectual property arena. Recently I had the opportunity to be introduced to Brian Wagner who is a co-founder of a company called “Packaging & Technology Integrated Solutions“(PTIS). PTIS is a group of “Global Management and Packaging Consultants.” […]
Patent Reform: House Passes America Invents Act
On June 23, 2011, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted 304-117 to pass H.R. 1249, a bill sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas), also known as the America Invents Act, to overhaul to U.S. patent law so as to encourage innovation, job creation and economic growth. “Today’s vote is a victory for […]
Leonardo da Vinci Inventions
I have always been amazed at the complex inventions that have come about hundreds of years ago. Leonardo Da Vinci (15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519) was an Italian Renaissance genius who memorialized many of his of inventions in thousands of pages of notes and drawings. Although it is said that he intended to […]
PATENTS & INVENTIONS SERIES Part 1
During a career of nearly 40 years as a patent examiner, a patent agent and a teacher of patent law, I’ve been asked countless questions about patents and inventions. Now that I’m semi-retired, I find I’m still getting questions about patents and inventions – from friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and people I meet socially. It happened […]