Sessions will be led by USPTO officials and intellectual property experts that will focus on protecting your ideas/inventions through patents, trademarks and copyrights.
Advanced Tips for the Seasoned Inventor - This session will cover complex prosecution topics including declaration practice under rules 37 CFR 1.131 and 1.132 in order to overcome prior art references, the filing of terminal disclaimers in order to overcome double patenting rejections, requests for pre-appeal conferences, formalities required in order to file an appeal, and the procedure to revive an abandoned application.
Application Preparation for Patents (for the beginner) — In this session you will learn why patents exist and how they protect inventions. Expert presenters from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will offer a detailed explanation of patent application filing requirements; forms required and associated filing fees. These experts will also review provisional applications, utility and design applications will be discussed.
Claim Construction and Handling Rejection - Now that you understand the basics of the patent process, learn how to properly define your invention in a claim. Learn the requirements to submit your application and what to expect from the Office. How to respond to an Office Action that rejects your claims and what the examiner means. How to properly prepare your amendment.
Commercializing Your Idea — Everyone thinks their idea or invention has the potential for commercial success, but the fact is many, many products never even make it on the store shelves. In this session you will hear an overview of alternative strategies and tactics for introducing new products into the marketplace. Learn how to speak with buyers and distributors, as well as attending or exhibiting at tradeshows.
Electronic Filing System (EFS) — The USPTO's web-based system allows patent submissions to be filed electronically from anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This can replace the traditional patent filing of a paper application and eliminate some of the 2 million pages submitted to the USPTO weekly. Learn how user friendly the submission process is, and the benefits of the EFS system to you as the applicant.
Hands-on Patent Searching (sign up in advance) - In this session you will learn how to conduct a patent search. Supervisory Patent Examiners from the United States Patent and Trademark Office will provide tips and guidance that can help you search out those related patents.
Hands-on Trademark Searching (sign up in advance) - In this session you will learn how to conduct a trademark search. USPTO’s librarian from the Patent and Trademark Depository Library (PTDL) will provide tips and guidance that can help you search out those problems that could ultimately sink your business.
Invention Promotion Firms - Learn the 10 "red flag" warnings that all inventors should know before working with an invention promotion firm. Under the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999, you, as the inventor, have certain rights you need to be aware of. Presenters from the USPTO will provide this invaluable information that could save you thousands of dollars.
Licensing and Intellectual Property — To the extent possible, everything a business (or individual) develops and creates should remain an exclusive asset of the business. For example, company names, logos, slogans, products, and services. This session will include general information on licensing intellectual property assets to individuals and companies, general information on securing licenses from individuals and companies to use their intellectual property, and general information on non-disclosure agreements.
Local Resources In Your Area — Although you will be hearing from local resources in the Chicago area, these resources are actually located throughout the country and available to inventors everywhere. The USPTO's Patent and Trademark Depository Library and the Small Business Development Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago will provide information about their respective resources from searching to starting a business.
One-on-One with the Experts (sign up in advance) — Throughout Friday and Saturday we have allotted time for you to sit down with an expert and have 15 minutes of consultation free! Advance sign-up is required and space will be limited.
Town Hall Meeting — This general session will give the audience the opportunity to ask those burning questions to a panel of prestigious conference representatives. It will be a question and answer session where everyone will benefit.
Trademark and Design Application - Trademarks will explore the groundwork you need to apply for the trademark that will identify your invention for the public. It will cover the definition of a mark that can be registered and the federal law that is the basis of the registration system. It will also give you a thumbnail sketch of the trademark registration process from new application workflow through post-registration maintenance. The new Madrid Protocol system for international registration will be discussed as well. The Design Applications portion of this session will teach the filing requirements, how designs patents protect the appearance of an object and enhance its commercial value
Working With Your Patent Attorney — This presentation covers some important factors for the inventor to consider when finding, selecting, and working with a patent attorney. By selecting carefully, by knowing what the attorney will need before the first visit even takes place, and by knowing what to expect during the patent application process you will have a better understanding when working with your patent attorney. Learn what may happen once you have the patent and you need to defend it in a court of law.
