WASHINGTON, DC - Under-Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) David Kappos delivered the keynote address on November 5, 2009 at this year’s Annual Independent Inventors Conference, according to the Office.
The Conference, co-sponsored by the USPTO and the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation, was held in Alexandria, Va., at the USPTO campus November 5-6.
Conference attendees received practical tips and information on marketing and licensing, patent application preparation, patent and trademark searching, local resources, and lessons learned from successes and failures.
Attendees also had the opportunity to network one-on-one with experts and to provide feedback on how the USPTO can better serve them.
"Independent inventors have always been drivers of innovation in America," noted Kappos.
"I am committed to dialoguing with them as often as possible and to making sure their concerns are heard. I am also committed to ensuring a level playing field for them as they seek the strong protection that the law accords to their innovations."
A pre-conference workshop for anyone interested in learning about the basics of patents and the importance of Intellectual Property protection , was held on November 4. This workshop was designed for beginners and represented a good foundation for the conference.
General session speakers included Louis Foreman, the Executive Producer of the Emmy award winning PBS series, Everyday Edisons; Michael Lee, Vice President of the Licensing Executive Society; Thom Ruhe, Director of Entrepreneurship for the Kauffman Foundation; Jay Hedley, Managing Director of SMART Buildings at Accenture; and Don Skomsky inventor and winner of NASA's International Create the Future new technology competition, among others.
In a session on Navigating Commerce Agencies, attendees learned how "CommerceConnect" is piloting a new way of delivering all the agency’s services in an integrated approach and how Commerce is bringing together manufacturers, federal labs, universities, large companies and independent inventors in an open innovation marketplace.
Session leaders and attendees examined the fundamentals of selecting a strong trademark name for an invention and discuss the interplay between patents and trademarks.
Participants also learned about invention marketing companies, the benefits and pitfalls of filing a provisional patent application, and things for the inventor to consider when finding, selecting, and working with a patent attorney/agent. Sessions offered Advanced Tips for the Seasoned Inventor as well.
