Commercializing your Invention Class a big success!

HI All,
On Thursday, September 28, 2017 I taught a course on Commercializing your Invention through Milford Adult Education.  For two hours we discussed how to take your invention from the idea stage, to actually making money with it.  Of course I answered a variety of questions from my students.  In the Spring of 2018, I will be teaching a two-evening course on Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights for the Individual Inventor and Small Businesses.  Check the Milford Adult Education spring catalog which should come out soon.  Hope to see you there.

Commercializing your Invention at Milford Adult Education on 9-28-17

Hi All,

I will be teaching a new 1 evening course at Milford Adult Education this fall.  The course is “Commercializing your Invention”.  This course will be an introduction to commercializing your invention, it will touch on non-disclosure agreements (NDA), prototyping, testing/market research, business plans, pitching invention, patents & trademarks.  The course will be at 6:30 pm at Jonathan Law High School in Milford, CT.  More information can be found here.

 

Attended the Inventors Association of Connecticut Meeting on July 26, 2017

Hi All.  Yesterday I attended the Inventors Association of Connecticut (IACT) meeting at Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT.  Presenting was chief marketing officer of Allstar Products Group, Michael Weinstein.  Allstar Products Group is a leading “As-Seen-On-TV” consumer products company that has revolutionized today’s consumer experience with the introduction of brands such as Snuggie Blanket with Sleeves (30MM sold), Simply Fit Board, Topsy Turvy Planters, Bendaroos, Perfect Brownie, Bumpits, Perfect Bacon Bowl, Hot Designs, Hot Huez, Juggle Bubbles, Secret Extensions any many other innovative product solutions.

Information about IACT and the future meetings can be found here.

USPTO free seminar on Standard-Essential Patents in China on July 25, 2017

On July 25, the USPTO is hosting a half-day seminar on the treatment of standard-essential patents in China. The seminar is from 9-11:30 a.m. ET  at the USPTO Global Intellectual Property Academy in Alexandria, Virginia and via webcast. The meeting will feature noted IP experts from the United States, China, and Europe, who will focus on prosecutions and injunctions. For more information and to sign up, go here

 

USPTO is hosting Invention-Con 2017, Aug 11-12, 2017 for Inventors and Business Owners

On August 11-12, join over 200 inventors, USPTO representatives, and intellectual property (IP) professionals from around the country for Invention-Con 2017 in Alexandria, Virginia.

During the two-day conference, attendees can attend plenary talks, participate in small-group breakout sessions, and hear from USPTO officials and industry experts on IP related topics of interest to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Who Should Attend?

If you are an independent inventor, entrepreneur, small business owner, or an IP professional who works with them, this conference is for you. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn from successful business owners and inventors who will relate their personal experiences of bringing their ideas to market.

More information can be found here.

Supreme Court says can only sue for patent infringement in State defendant is incorporated in

Recently, the Supreme Court reversed the Federal Circuit in the case of TC HEARTLAND LLC v. KRAFT FOODS GROUP BRANDS LLC, holding that the general venue statute does not supplant the venue statute specifically applicable to patent infringement suits. The Supreme Court explained that “resides” in the patent venue statute has a particular meaning as applied to domestic corporations: It refers only to the State of incorporation.

The Supreme Court changes the longstanding practice on where patent owners may sue domestic corporations for alleged patent infringement.  After TC HEARTLAND, the residence of a domestic corporation means the State of incorporation for venue purposes. This decision will limit where a plaintiff may bring a patent infringement action, and may significantly decrease the number of suits in popular venues, such as the Eastern District of Texas. However, these other questions were not decided in TC HEARTLAND: (1) what is proper venue for foreign corporations and unincorporated entities sued for patent infringement; and (2) what is a domestic corporation’s “regular and established place of business”,  where venue may also be appropriate in addition to the place of a corporation’s “residence.”  The case can be read here.

USPTO presenting a Patent Quality Chat on July 11, 2017 on Work Sharing at the USPTO

The USPTO’s Patent Quality Chat webinar series continues July 11 from noon – 1 p.m. ET on “Latest Updates in USPTO’s Work Sharing Efforts.” The speakers will be discussing various programs aimed at improving quality and efficiency of prosecution globally. In particular, the USPTO will highlight their Collaborative Search Pilot Program (CSP), the Access to Relevant Prior Art project, and Global Dossier. More information about the  USPTO’s Patent Quality Chat webinar series is available here.

The Patent Quality Chat webinar series is presented as a part of the USPTO’s continuous efforts to improve patent quality.    

USPTO Inventor Info Chat on Trademarks

I just attended a webinar on Trademarks hosted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office today.  It gave a basic introduction to trademarks in the US and internationally.  Great resource for inventors, and business people.  The slides from the webinar should be available soon, and should be available here.  Unfortunately, there are no new Inventor Info Chats scheduled for 2017, but if any new chats are scheduled, I will post them here.