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A look back at the highlights of October 2024 |
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Blinded as the result of a childhood accident, Ralph Teetor learned to hone and use his other senses to invent, become a successful businessman, and participate in everyday activities — all with the determination to lead an independent, ordinary life. |
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A brilliant touch
Under the pale light of the moon they worked, racing from one end of the machine to the other, tightening bolts, checking belt tensions, and configuring wheel alignment, kicking up clouds of dust with each excited footstep.
One 12-year-old boy sprints to the family’s workshop to retrieve a tool while the other young lad adds fuel in preparation for the 1-cylinder automobile’s maiden voyage. The cousins, both preteens, had worked nonstop on their creation, using spare parts from the family business and machining each component by hand to build the vehicle from scratch.
With the roads clear of horse and buggy traffic at this early hour, it was now or never.
One boy sits in the driver’s seat while the other grips the hand crank. White knuckled, the young engineer uses every muscle in his arm and chest to throw the lever into motion, one rotation and then another and another until the engine sputters to life and the machine lurches forward.
Success.
The cousins’ contraption reached 12 miles per hour, an amazing feat for kids of any age or ability, but it was especially impressive given that one of the young engineers was blind.
Read the full story
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A young Camp Invention participant shows Dr. Robert Bryant, a prolific inventor and NASA scientist with a visual disability, a miniature finger-board skate park that she designed, engineered, and built. (Photo courtesy of Debbie Leanne Portraits) |
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Changing the world through innovation: Celebrating and empowering people with disabilities
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The USPTO’s focus on inclusive innovation is to help lift up innovators, including the 29% of American adults with disabilities. Through our National Strategy for Inclusive Innovation, among other initiatives, we're working to make USPTO resources more accessible to people with disabilities. I joined Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and other leaders at the Department of Commerce’s first-ever National Disability Leadership Summit on September 17 to discuss how the USPTO’s important work in this area reflects the Biden administration’s focus on empowering people of all ability levels.
By USPTO Deputy Director Derrick Brent | Continue reading
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Alexandria, VA - October 22, 2024-Jay Besch, President at National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Chapter 245, Dorene Greenwald, National President of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and Dave Gooder, Commissioner for Trademarks, USPTO (left to right) sign the new collective bargaining agreement during the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) 245 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signing ceremony. (Photo by Michael Connor/USPTO) |
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USPTO, National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 245 sign new collective bargaining agreement
October 23, 2024
Washington–The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) Chapter 245 have signed a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for the first time in more than 20 years. The CBA, which was last updated in 2001, sets a government-leading standard for federal government labor relations by guaranteeing pre-decisional involvement and labor-management collaboration.
Read the press release
USPTO marks IP Month with expanded tools for entrepreneurs and startups
October 24, 2024
Intellectual Property (IP) Month in October is an opportunity to recognize the role that IP plays in inspiring innovation, driving economic growth, and addressing global challenges. In the U.S. alone, industry and commerce that relies heavily on IP protection accounts for $7.8 trillion in annual GDP and supports 63 million jobs.
Read the news brief
Kamei appointed as USPTO’s first Chief Public Engagement Officer
October 21, 2024
WASHINGTON—To further strengthen the agency’s connection with stakeholders and champion the value of intellectual property (IP) protection in communities across the country, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced the appointment of Nancy U. Kamei as Chief Public Engagement Officer and Director of the Office of Public Engagement (OPE), effective immediately. Launched in the spring of 2024, the OPE advances the agency’s mission of increasing participation in the innovation ecosystem by consolidating many of the agency’s outreach, education, and customer experience leaders under a single office, enhancing the agency’s commitment to reach more Americans with IP resources.
Read the press release
Expanding opportunities to practice before the PTAB
October 9, 2024
To expand opportunities to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) while maintaining safeguards that ensure high-quality legal representation, we are issuing a final rule to amend the rules governing who may practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board). The final rule responds to input received from the public, including responses to our previous request for comments and notice of proposed rulemaking.
Read the news brief
USPTO terminates patent application proceedings for fraudulent use of signature
October 2, 2024
Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a final order terminating proceedings in roughly 3,100 patent applications for the fraudulent entry of the S-signature of a registered practitioner by someone other than the practitioner.
Read the news brief
Find all upcoming and past events.
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Thought that black and white picture of your great, great grandparents couldn’t be creepier? Just add it to this invention designed to amp up the eerie factor. View the original post on X or Instagram. |
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 Didn’t give your written consent for a business to use your image? Flag on the play!
Student-athletes, did you know that you can earn profits from your personal brand? Swipe to learn three things every student-athlete should know about protecting your name, image, and likeness (NIL).
View original post on Instagram
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 Director Vidal joined students, faculty, and members of the Salt Lake City innovation community to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Patent and Trademark Resource Center at the @MarriottLibrary at @UUtah.
View original post on X
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 Would you believe this patent was meant to keep people safe? 🤔
Before safety bottle caps and standardized warning labels, inventors came up with ways to alert consumers about dangerous products like poison. These two spiky, adjustable bands made it near impossible to accidentally grab the bottle without being warned there was something hazardous inside.
View original post on Facebook
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 Trick or treat! 🎃 We’re suckers for treats protected by trademarks.
The unique shapes of Twizzlers, Life Savers and Hersheyland are registered trademarks.
Swipe to learn about trademarks for the candy that may land in your Halloween bucket tonight.
View original post on LinkedIn
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