USPTO

This Thanksgiving, we’re taking you on a tour of traditional Thanksgiving foods to show you how one simple ingredient can lead to incredible innovation.  We teamed up with the Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention to dive into the science behind the innovation. This week, we look at corn. It’s the supercrop of all time, used in thousands of products. Thanks to inventors like Lockrum Blue and Martha Jones, corn production has become more efficient.     Want to get your hands dirty with a corny experiment? Head over to our YouTube channel to learn how you can transform corn starch into Oobleck, a pressure-dependent solid: https://bit.ly/3ACWGGk

Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) is committed to supporting women who work in all roles at America’s Innovation Agency. WiSE offers diverse programming to connect, recognize, and celebrate women in STEM careers, to help educate and mentor the next generation of women and girls in STEM fields, and to build coalitions and opportunities amongst diverse individuals and organizations which support women and innovation expansion. Chineyere W., WiSE president, emphasizes that the organization is focused on enhancing the well-being of its members. The group welcomes all USPTO colleagues, whether women or individuals who support women in STEM fields or the practice of intellectual property protection. #TeamUSPTO #DEIA #DEIASpotlight

Driving more U.S. innovation starts in our classrooms.    At the recent Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit, Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property highlighted USPTO support for teachers to incorporate innovation education into their classrooms.    If you are a teacher or parent and want to learn more visit: https://lnkd.in/g8CHX-aK  

Law students, don’t miss your chance to take part in this year’s National Patent Application Drafting Competition! The competition is an opportunity for law students to get hands on experience in patent law, develop their patent application drafting and prosecution skills, and interact with leaders in the intellectual property community. The top five finalist teams will get to present to our panel of judges in April at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, VA. – and take home some impressive trophies! Registration closes Saturday, November 9. Register to compete: https://bit.ly/4fnGxUF

This National Native American Heritage Month, we celebrate one of our patent examiners, Francis, who serves as the Tribal Chairman of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe, a Maryland state-recognized tribe. “My main responsibilities as a Tribal Chair are bringing about positive change and moving the tribe forward while at the same time preserving our history,” he said. We are proud of our tapestry of talent, a richly diverse workforce fueling American innovation. #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #TeamUSPTO #NNAHM

Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property joined judges of the federal district and members of the Eastern District of Texas Bar Association for the 27th annual Bench & Bar conference on all things IP to provide updates on USPTO. She addressed USPTO strategic objectives from operations to inclusive innovation to AI and incentivizing the next generation of inventors and creators. “Everything we do at USPTO is focused on meeting our mission to drive U.S. innovation, inclusive capitalism, and global competitiveness for the benefit of all Americans,” said Director Vidal. “That includes everything from improving operational performance and reliability to developing and implementing policy to incentivize emerging technology. We need more innovation, whether from first time inventors or from our largest brand name corporations.” To learn more about the USPTO’s strategic goals and accomplishments visit: https://lnkd.in/eZNXBaHh

Hats off to innovation that is truly outside the box. #OTD in 2022, design patent No. 968,651 was issued for a spherical building that is now turning heads on the Las Vegas strip for its dazzling – and sometimes unexpected – displays. The patent showcases the striking design of the Sphere music venue, an architectural marvel that lights up the Las Vegas skyline. The detailed design highlights the venue’s modern and immersive experience. #DesignPatents #VegasSphere 

We’re hiring a strategic leader to help safeguard cybersecurity privacy rights, ensure robust authorizations, and foster proactive outreach within the evolving digital realm. Use your information technology (IT) skills and vision to develop long-range plans, promote IT policies and objectives, and lead a diverse, inclusive team. This position offers the opportunity to telework full-time within 50 miles of our Alexandria headquarters. Ready to join us at the forefront of innovation? Apply: https://bit.ly/3NsGhaf #ITJobs

For Intellectual Property (IP) Month, we want to give a shout out to our IP Champions program!  IP Champions are USPTO employees who bring their IP knowledge and expertise to high schools and community centers nationwide. This local outreach campaign launched earlier this year and is an initiative of the Council for Inclusive Innovation.  Are you interested in having your local high school or community learn more about the importance of IP protection like patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets? Find out how you can request an IP Champion for an upcoming event: https://bit.ly/4avW5Tt 

 Trick or treat! 🎃 We’re suckers for treats protected by trademarks. The unique shapes of Twizzlers, Life Savers and Hersheyland are registered trademarks. Swipe to learn about trademarks for the candy that may land in your Halloween bucket tonight.