Women's History Month: Valiant Women of the Vote -- Fannie Lou Hamer

Following the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, many women remained unable to exercise their right to vote due to systemic racism, voter suppression, and discriminatory laws and practices. Community organizer Fannie Lou Hamer’s work with both voting rights and the Freedom Farm Cooperative highlighted this continued fight for a more equitable society. 

 

In 1962, Hamer led seventeen volunteers to a local courthouse to register to vote. After being denied the vote on the grounds of a discriminatory literacy test, Hamer was fired by her employer and evicted from her home. Already involved in the Civil Rights Movement through her work with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Hamer’s experience drove her to advocate further for voting rights for African Americans in the South. In 1964, she helped organize Freedom Summer, a volunteer campaign to register Black voters in Mississippi. 

 

In addition to the vote, Hamer saw economics as a path towards racial equality. In 1968, she started a program called the “pig bank,” which provided pigs to Black farmers. This was the precursor to Hamer’s Freedom Farm Cooperative (FFC). She purchased 640 acres to allow African American families to collectively own and farm land. In addition to 200 units of housing, the cooperative also included businesses and services such as a garment factory, coop store, and pre-school Head Start program. At its peak, the cooperative was one of the largest employers in Sunflower County, Mississippi. 

 

Learn more about Fannie Lou Hamer’s work and legacy: http://bit.ly/3bYoDJQ 

#WomensHistoryMonth #ValiantWomenOfTheVote

USPTO to host NCEAI Innovation Chat on April 1

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will host a National Council for Expanding American Innovation (NCEAI) Innovation Chat on Thursday, April 1, from noon to 1 p.m. ET. The virtual discussion will focus on the topic of creating innovators. Watch the chat online. 

The first portion of the Innovation Chat will be a panel discussion moderated by Wayne Stacy, Director of the USPTO’s Silicon Valley Regional Office. The panel will include Dr. Javier Diez, Inventor, CEO of SubUAS, LLC, and Professor at Rutgers University; Dr. Wendy Wintersteen, President of Iowa State University; and Tiki Dare, Vice President of Trademark & Copyright at Oracle Corp. 

During the second portion of the chat, the USPTO will take questions from the audience. Submit questions in the chat function during the webinar or in advance to NCEAI@uspto.gov. 

NCEAI is comprised of representatives from industry, academia, and government, and it was established to help guide the USPTO in developing a comprehensive national strategy to build a more diverse and inclusive innovation ecosystem. The Innovation Chat series of webinars is meant to further the discussion on how to increase the opportunities for all Americans to participate in innovation.

For additional information, visit the NCEAI page of the USPTO website and join the conversation on social media with #ExpandingAmericanInnovation.

Federal Register Notice: Administrative updates to the General Requirements Bulletin

On March 23, 2021, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a Federal Register Notice requesting public input on administrative updates to the General Requirements Bulletin (GRB) for admission to the examination for registration to practice in patent cases before the USPTO. These proposed changes would serve to streamline the application process for certain applicants and help bring more qualified practitioners into the patent system.

As explained in the GRB, there are three categories of technical and scientific qualifications that typically make applicants eligible to sit for the registration examination:

• Category A for specified bachelor’s degrees,
• Category B for other bachelor’s degrees with technical and scientific training, and
• Category C for practical engineering or scientific experience.

Based on the USPTO’s ongoing evaluation of the criteria, the USPTO is seeking comments on potentially changing the criteria to:

• Add common Category B degrees to Category A,
• Accept advanced degrees (i.e., master’s and doctoral degrees) under Category A, and
• Accept a combination of core sciences under Category B, Options 2 and 4, so long as one of the core science courses has a lab component.

Comments can be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Comments will be accepted through May 22, 2021.

Women's History Month: Valiant Women of the Vote -- Ellen Ochoa

In the century since the 19th Amendment was ratified, the stories of suffragists continue to inspire generations of women trailblazers. Inventor and astronaut Ellen Ochoa carried this legacy with her to the final frontier – space! 

 

An engineer, Ochoa holds several patents in the field of optical systems for information processing. Her inventions include a system that detects defects in a repeating pattern, an object recognition method, and a method for image noise removal. At @NASA, she led a group researching the use of optical technology for automated space exploration. 

 

In 1993, Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman to go into space when serving on the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery, a mission tasked with studying the Earth’s ozone layer. On a subsequent mission six years later, Ochoa brought an original gold, white, and purple suffrage banner into orbit. Ochoa has been in space four times and logged over 1,000 space hours. She went on to serve as the 11th director of the Johnson Space Center and is a recipient of NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal. 

 

Learn more about Ochoa’s historic flight from the @National Archives: http://bit.ly/3rUmQe5 #WomensHistoryMonth #ValiantWomenOfTheVote

Get to know Ashok Gadgil, this week’s #FeaturedInductee Ashok Gadgil

Physicist Ashok Gadgil’s inventions have improved quality of life for over 100 million people globally. Most famous for the Berkeley-Darfur Stove, which reduced fuel demand for millions of people in displacement camps, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to see the latest #FeaturedInductee and learn more about Ashok Gadgil.

Women's History Month: Valiant Women of the Vote -- Zitkála-Šá

 

Writer, musician, and activist Zitkála-Šá showed the world how the arts can both preserve traditions and influence change. 

 

A member of the Yankton Dakota Sioux, Zitkála-Šá was born in South Dakota in 1876. She first learned to play the violin at a residential school, and discovered a passion for the instrument. Alarmed by the pressures Indigenous people faced to assimilate, she became an advocate for Indigenous people retaining their cultural practices and traditions. Zitkála-Šá used her music and her writing to disavow damaging stereotypes white Americans held about Native Americans. Her books, including “American Indian Stories” and “Old Indian Legends,” were some of the first texts to bring traditional Indigenous stories to a white English-speaking audience. Zitkála-Šá also wrote the libretto and contributed to the music for “The Sun Dance,” a groundbreaking opera that remains one of the few operas dealing exclusively with Native American themes. 

 

Zitkála-Šá advocated for full citizenship for Indigenous people in the United States, including the right to vote. In addition to her writings, she lectured across the country to promote tribal identities and encourage civic participation. Although the federal Indian Citizenship Act passed in 1924, the power to grant suffrage to Native Americans still rested with the states. In response, Zitkála-Šá and her husband founded the National Council of American Indians, and she served as the organization’s president until her death in 1938, encouraging those who were able to exercise the right to vote to participate in ways that benefitted all Indigenous people. 

 

Learn more about Zitkála-Šá’s writings, music, and legacy in health care and education: http://bit.ly/3vckucB 

#WomensHistoryMonth #ValiantWomenOfTheVote

Additional space available for trademark specimens webinar

Earlier this month, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced the Trademark specimens overview for experienced filers webinar scheduled for March 30, from 3-4:30 p.m. ET, which filled up within hours. Due to such high demand, capacity has increased to accommodate everyone interested in attending this free event. If you previously registered, you’re all set.

If you’re a trademark professional who wants to know more about the USPTO’s practices regarding trademark specimens, this is for you. Register today to learn about: 

• Recent changes to requirements for specimens of use
• Common issues with specimens
• What USPTO trademark examining attorneys look for when reviewing specimens

The USPTO is applying for CLE credit in Virginia for this webinar. Participants will receive a certificate of attendance and presentation materials to acquire CLE credit in other states. Please contact TM_Webinar@uspto.gov with questions.

Trademark Basics Boot Camp returns in April

Get ready for the next Trademark Basics Boot Camp, launching on April 6, from 2-3 p.m. ET with Module 1 of the series, “Trademark Fundamentals.” This eight-part series delivers once-a-week trainings that cover the federal trademark registration process from pre-filing to post-registration. Every session includes a Q&A portion and is self-contained, so you can attend the full series or only the modules that you’re interested in.

To see the full list of topics and to register for modules, visit the Trademark Basics Boot Camp page on the USPTO website.

These sessions are popular with small business owners and entrepreneurs, but even trademark legal professionals are tuning in for individual modules to help them strengthen their practice and get answers to specific questions.

Please contact TMFeedback@uspto.gov with questions about this program.

Wednesday, March 24: Investing in innovation

Don't miss the next free, online installment of the 2021 Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium (WES), “Investing in innovation,” coming next Wednesday, March 24, from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET. Tune in to learn about funding opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Register for this program.

Attendees will learn about:

• Small business loans to help launch your vision
• Understanding crowdfunding
• Other investment funding sources for aspiring entrepreneurs

Moderator

Hope Shimabuku, Director of the USPTO's Texas Regional Office

Guests

• Natalie Madeira Cofield, Assistant Administrator, Office of Women’s Business Ownership, Small Business Administration
• Elizabeth Galbut, Founding Partner, SoGal Ventures
• Ruth Hedges, CEO, Crowdfundingroadmap Inc
• Corinne Hodges, CEO, Association of Women’s Business Centers

The WES will offer engaging, expert panels on Wednesdays throughout Women’s History Month. Check the WES program page for updates.

The WES is presented by the USPTO’s Office of Innovation Outreach. For questions or assistance, please contact WES@USPTO.GOV. 

Trademark: Harry Styles

Did you ever wonder how artists nominated for Recording Academy / GRAMMYs

protect their brands?

 

Harry Styles , the opener for Grammy award show, holds two registered trademarks.

 

 

Trademark:  Harry Styles

U.S. Registration no. 5688195

Trademark, Service Mark

Registered: March 5, 2019

Trademark: Harry Styles Treat People with Kindness

U.S. Registration no. 5876867

Trademark

Registered October 8, 2019

Women's History Month -- Wine & IP

On March 24, the USPTO invites you to celebrate the successes of women working at the intersection of wine and #IP. 

Learn more about their efforts, often behind the scenes, to keep the wine world swirling. 

Register for free: http://bit.ly/30wNBJO #WineIP #WomensHistoryMonth

Women's History Month -- Valiant Women of the Vote: Bellie Bly

Investigative journalist Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman, better known by her pseudonym Nellie Bly, held two U.S. patents in manufacturing. 

 

Following her lauded expose on brutality and neglect in late nineteenth-century mental health asylums and her record-breaking seventy-two day trip around the world, Bly had a second career as an industrialist. With her husband’s health failing, Bly took over as the head of Iron Clad Manufacturing Co. around the turn of the twentieth century. Bly invented and received patents for a novel milk can (patent number 697,553) and a stacking garbage can (patent number 703,711). Although the company’s financial issues led to its eventual bankruptcy, Iron Clad’s lasting legacy can be seen in the 55-gallon oil drum still used widely today, modeled on a popular steel barrel manufactured during Bly’s tenure. 

 

Bly eventually returned to journalism. She covered the 1913 Women’s Suffrage Procession, the first suffrage parade in Washington, D.C. and the first large, organized political march on the nation’s capital. In her article, bluntly entitled “Suffragists Are Men’s Superiors,” she predicted correctly that it would be 1920 before women were able to vote in national elections. 

 

Learn more about Nellie Bly and her interdisciplinary career: http://bit.ly/30zOv8h #WomensHistoryMonth #ValiantWomenOfTheVote

 

 

U.S. Patent no. 697,553

Title: Milk Can

Patented: April 15, 1902

 

U.S. Patent no. 703,711

Title: Garbage or Refuse Can

Patented: July 1, 1902

Different abilities in STEM

How can we make #STEM education more accessible for all learners?

 

Guest speaker Temple Grandin will join the U.S. Department of Education and the USPTO on March 25 to discuss inclusive STEM environments.

 

Learn more: http://bit.ly/3kmsbYB #ExpandingAmericanInnovation