TOP NEWS
Special Notice for Applicants regarding Postal Interruptions Due to Iowa Flooding |

Independent Inventors Conference Set for August 8-9
Registration Now Open
The 13th annual Independent Inventors Conference will be held on the campus of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in Alexandria, Virginia August 8-9. A pre-conference workshop, for anyone interested in learning about the basics of patents and the importance of intellectual property protection, will be held on August 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. The workshop is for beginners and is a good foundation for the conference It is included in the $100 registration fee.
Top officials of the USPTO, including Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce Margaret Peterlin and Commissioner for Patents John Doll will be presenters at the conference. Also appearing this year will be Louis Foreman, creator and executive producer of the Emmy award winning PBS series, Everyday Edisons.
The registration fee includes all sessions and presentations, morning and afternoon refreshments, lunch both days and a networking reception on Friday night. For additional information about the conference call 571-272-8850.
The Independent Inventors Conference is co-sponsored by the USPTO and the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation.
>> Click here for 13th Annual Independent Inventors Registration.
USPTO Deputy Director Margaret J.A. Peterlin talks with participants at a recent town hall meeting on industrial design protection.
USPTO Design Protection Town Hall Meeting Draws More than 75 Stakeholders
Participants represent wide array of business interests
On Monday, June 16, the USPTO hosted a town hall meeting on the subject of design protection at its Alexandria, Va., headquarters. This was the second meeting in a listening tour to seek the perspectives of parties concerned with issues related to the protection of industrial designs.
>> Full Story
USPTO and the Computing Technology Industry Association Educate Maryland Businesses about the Importance of Intellectual Property Protection and the Risks of Counterfeiting and Piracy
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) today informed Maryland businesses about the growing threats of counterfeiting and piracy, while also providing information on how businesses can protect and enforce their own intellectual property rights in the United States and overseas.
>> Full Story
USPTO Director Jon Dudas and Commissioner for Patents John Doll meet with members of the George Washington University School of Business case competition team, along with GWU Professor James Thurman.
GWU Business Case Competition Winners Meet with USPTO Management
Winners of the George Washington University (GWU) School of Business 2008 International Business Case Competition met recently with USPTO senior management to present their proposed solutions to the pressing issues of patent pendency and backlog at the USPTO.
The winners of the competition, a team representing GWU’s School of Business, were chosen through a “blind” judging process by a panel including USPTO leadership and executives representing such diverse industries as education, finance, hospitality and consulting.
>> Full Story











