Attend the next Patent Public Advisory Committee quarterly meeting on May 6

Join the USPTO for the next Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) quarterly meeting on Thursday, May 6, from 11 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. ET. Members of the public are welcome and invited to attend. 

The virtual program will include updates from USPTO executives on patent pendency and quality, innovation expansion, artificial intelligence, international outreach, and more. View the full agenda and watch the meeting.

PPAC was created by the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999 to advise the Secretary of Commerce and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO on the management of patent operations. The committee’s nine voting members, who come from various backgrounds in the private sector, review the USPTO’s patent policies, goals, performance, budget, and user fees and advise the Director on these matters.  

If you have a question or comment about the PPAC meeting or agenda, please submit it to ppac@uspto.gov prior to the meeting. 

Innovators and entrepreneurs: Learn about IP basics and helpful resources

Date: May 6, 2021

Time: 12:00 PM ET - 1:30 PM ET

Location: Online

Unfamiliar with patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets? Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from USPTO experts about intellectual property (IP) basics and potential ways to protect your innovation as you transition from idea to product. 

The USPTO's Midwest Regional Office offers this session for aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, and students the first Thursday of each month.  Register early for this month's session.

The discussion will cover:

• An overview of intellectual property types: patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets
• Why innovators and entrepreneurs should consider protecting their IP
• Local resources and assistance available through the USPTO and other agencies

The USPTO's Midwest Regional Office is offering this event for nationwide participation starting at noon ET. For more information, email MidwestRegion@uspto.gov or call 313-446-4800.

Coming soon: PTAB webinar about preparing an appeal brief

Join the next Boardside Chat webinar on Thursday, May 13, from noon to 1 p.m. ET, for a discussion about preparing an appeal brief. This program is intended for independent inventors, new practitioners, and those interested in learning more about the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).

During the webinar, Vice Chief Judge Janet Gongola, Lead Judge James Worth, Judge Eric Jeschke, Judge Frances Ippolito, Judge Nina Medlock, and Acting IT Branch Chief Joy Weber will discuss:

• A new tool to aid in preparing an appeal brief
• General information about appealing examiner rejections to the PTAB
• PTAB rules and procedures for appeal briefs
• Common appellant mistakes

There will be a Q&A session at the end. Please send questions in advance or during the webinar to PTABBoardsideChat@uspto.gov.

Register in advance. The webinar is free and open to all. Captioning service will be provided.

More information is available on the PTAB Boardside Chat page of the USPTO website.

Nominations sought for prestigious National Medal of Technology and Innovation

WASHINGTON – The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking nominations for the 2021 National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI). The NMTI is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement and is presented to recipients by the President of the United States at a White House ceremony.

“By highlighting the national importance of technological innovation, this medal is meant to inspire future generations to prepare for and pursue technical careers to keep America at the forefront of global technology and economic leadership,” said Drew Hirshfeld, performing the functions and duties of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. “The USPTO is honored to help celebrate the best minds in American innovation whose creations have improved our world.”

The medal is awarded to individuals, teams (up to four individuals), and companies or divisions of companies for their outstanding contributions to the nation’s economic, environmental, and social well-being through the development and commercialization of technological products, processes and concepts, technological innovation, and strengthening the nation’s technological workforce.

Anyone can nominate for the NMTI by submitting the online nomination form and letters of support. Applicants must submit all nominations by 11:59 p.m. ET, July 30, 2021. Nominations of candidates from traditionally underrepresented groups are encouraged.

Detailed information about the nomination guidelines, a preview of the nomination questions, and a link to the nomination form is available on the NMTI webpage. For more information about the award and nomination process, please contact nmti@uspto.gov.

NMTI staff will hold a webinar to answer questions about the award and the nomination process on June 2 at noon ET. For more information and to register, please visit the event page on the USPTO website.

The Trademark Modernization Act: What brand owners need to know

The Trademark Modernization Act provides #trademark owners with tools to better protect their brands, and will strengthen the integrity of the trademark register. 

Read more in USPTO Director's Forum's latest #blog: https://bit.ly/3xhcok5

Explore the breakthroughs of Asian American/Pacific Islander inventors on May 14

Don’t miss this special online event celebrating the remarkable work of Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) innovators. Take this opportunity to hear from National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) inductees about their world-changing technological achievements and from inventors advancing the fight against COVID-19. Register early.

Agenda (subject to change)

Opening remarks

Drew Hirshfeld
Performing the functions and duties of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO

Moderator

Julie Mar-Spinola
Chair, USPTO Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC)

Panel one: NIHF inductees–Inventing a better world

• Margaret Wu, Retired Senior Scientific Advisor, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Co. Wu revolutionized the field of synthetic lubricants. Her work has changed how automobile and industrial lubricants are designed and synthesized and resulted in products with better machine protection, improved energy efficiency, and reduced waste oil.
• Ming-Jun Li and Pushkar Tandon, Corporate Fellows, Corning Incorporated
  In 2004, experiments with new types of optical fiber led Corning Incorporated researchers Ming-Jun Li, Dana Bookbinder, and Pushkar Tandon to develop what would be named ClearCurve®, a bend-insensitive optical fiber that can bend without significant signal loss. ClearCurve fiber enabled the installation of optical fiber in previously impossible locations and advanced the process of data transmission.

Panel two: Inventors fighting COVID-19

• Alice Min Soo Chun, CEO and Founder of Solight Design and SEEUS95 Inc.
  Chun invented the first self-attaching transparent N95 mask, the SEEUS95, to reduce the irritation PPE masks can cause wearers and limit their environmental impact. She also invented the SolarPuff, a portable solar light providing individualized access to solar energy.
• Yiran (Isabella) Yang, Caltech Ph.D. Candidate in Medical Engineering
  Yang’s research focuses on wearable sweat sensors and microfluidics for non-invasive health monitoring.
• Kevin Tyan, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Kinnos 
  Tyan is the co-inventor of Highlight, a powdered additive that colorizes disinfectants blue for improved visibility and coverage and fades to clear when decontamination is complete.

This AAPI Heritage Month event is presented by the USPTO’s Office of Innovation Outreach and Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity as well as the USPTO's Asian Pacific American Network and Korean-American Intellectual Property Organization affinity groups. For questions or assistance, please contact InnovationOutreach@​uspto.gov.

A Proclamation on World Intellectual Property Day, 2021

On April 23, President Joseph R. Biden issued a proclamation for World IP Day:

"This year, on World Intellectual Property Day, we celebrate the innovators and creators who enrich our lives and create the products, services, companies, and industries of tomorrow. We especially recognize the power of intellectual property protection in allowing our small businesses to compete, thrive, and play their important role as the heart and soul of our communities and the engines of our economic progress.

"Small businesses are critical to our success as a Nation. They make up 90 percent of businesses in the United States, employ nearly half of America’s private sector workers, and create two-thirds of new jobs, and bring opportunity to every corner of our Nation. Inventions born in the garages of small towns can have just as much impact as those developed in high-tech labs. This year’s World Intellectual Property Day highlights the critical role these small businesses play in our society and the ways intellectual property can help support their continued growth and resilience."

Read the full proclamation, learn more about World IP Day, and join today's virtual celebration of World IP Day 2021.

Public Search Facility User ID and Badging

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 72 (Friday, April 16, 2021)]

[Notices]

[Pages 20126-20127]

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[FR Doc No: 2021-07851]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 

Request; Public Search Facility User ID and Badging

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of 

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as 

required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on 

the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651-

0041 (Public Search Facility User ID and Badging). The purpose of this 

notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of 

the information collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this information 

collection must be received on or before June 15, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 

any of the following methods. Do not submit Confidential Business 

Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information:

     Email: InformationCollection@uspto.gov. Include ``0651-

0041 comment'' in the subject line of the message.

     Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.

     Mail: Kimberly Hardy, Office of the Chief Administrative 

Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, 

Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.

Recording Assignments

 

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 72 (Friday, April 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20121-20123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07854]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Recording Assignments

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments 
on the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 
0651-0027 (Recording Assignments). The purpose of this notice is to 
allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the 
information collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this information 
collection must be received on or before June 15, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
any of the following methods. Do not submit Confidential Business 
Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information:
     Email: InformationCollection@uspto.gov. Include ``0651-
0027
 

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Patent Prosecution Highway Program,

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 72 (Friday, April 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20123-20126]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07857]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Program

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of 
Commerce.

[[Page 20124]]


ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), in

accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments

on the extension and revision of an existing information collection:

0651-0058 (Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Program). The purpose of

this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission

of the information collection to OMB.

 

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this information

collection must be received on or before June 15, 2021.

 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by

any of the following methods. Do not submit Confidential Business

Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information:

     Email: InformationCollection@uspto.gov. Include ``0651-

0058 comment'' in the subject line of the message.

     Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.

     Mail: Kimberly Hardy, Office of the Chief Administrative

Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450,

Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.