Invention-Con 2021 reaches innovators, entrepreneurs, and students nationwide 

Invention-Con 2021 reaches innovators, entrepreneurs, and students nationwide 

Innovators, small business owners, intellectual property (IP) lawyers, educators, and entrepreneurs from across the country tuned in online August 18–20 to the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) virtual Invention-Con 2021. This year’s theme was “Capitalizing on your intellectual property,” and the event featured a special day focused on young inventors.

USPTO leadership, including Drew Hirshfeld, performing the functions and duties of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, Acting Commissioner for Patents Andrew I. Faile, Commissioner for Trademarks David S. Gooder, Deputy Commissioner for Patents Valencia Martin-Wallace, and Acting Chief Communications Officer Cara Duckworth welcomed attendees.

Special guests offered insights on the creative process and building businesses. Gitanjali Rao, inventor and TIME magazine’s Kid of the Year for 2020, joined a fireside chat with Molly Kocialski, Director of the USPTO's Rocky Mountain Regional Office, to discuss her path to creating Tehys, a device that uses carbon nanotube sensors to detect lead in water, and Kindly, a web tool that uses artificial intelligence to detect signs of cyberbullying. Serene Almomen, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Senseware, shared how her company uses Internet of Things-enabled technology to improve real-time indoor air quality to help in the fight against COVID-19. Ansel Brown, inventor, recording artist, and principal owner and Chief Amazement Officer of nvisionative, shared lessons learned from successes in music, business, and invention.

Panels of public and private sector experts covered the different types of intellectual property protection, how to bring innovations to the marketplace, technology transfer and commercialization, wearable tech in fashion, artificial intelligence, and helpful resources available to inventors. Interactive workshops offered attendees the chance to ask questions about applying for patents, registering trademarks, drafting claims, free legal services, manufacturing, the work of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and more.

Invention-Con is the USPTO's annual conference for independent inventors, entrepreneurs, and small business owners whose success depends on guarding their creative work. Learn more about Invention-Con and access presentations about IP, federal government resources, and more:

For more information, contact InventionCon@uspto.gov.

Disclaimer
Inventors Eye offers useful information, non-legal advice, and interesting stories about innovation and intellectual property (IP). Given that IP law and policy change over time, readers should consult current statutes and regulations before attempting to apply for a patent or register a trademark. These laws and the application process can be complicated. If you have IP that could be patented or registered as a trademark, the use of an attorney or agent who is qualified to represent you in the USPTO is advised.

The USPTO gives you useful information and non-legal advice in the areas of patents and trademarks. The patent and trademark statutes and regulations should be consulted before attempting to apply for a patent or register a trademark. These laws and the application process can be complicated. If you have intellectual property that could be patented or registered as a trademark, the use of an attorney or agent who is qualified to represent you in the USPTO is advised.

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