Author US Patent and Trademark Office Licence Standard YouTube Licence Source USPTP
An important difference between the United Kingdom and the United States lies in the public's appreciation of independent inventors. The life of an American inventor is not exactly a bed of roses as the story of the film Joy shows, but it is fair to say that independent inventors in the USA are encouraged in a way that British independent inventors are not. One of the ways in which they are encouraged is an annual online conference called Invention-Con which I discussed in Invention-Con 2022: The US Patent and Trademark Office's Online Conference for Inventors, Makers and Entrepreneurs on 22 July 2022.
It will be obvious from the video clip above that another Invention Con has taken place since I wrote that article. This time some of the proceedings have been recorded on YouTube. They include:
- A welcome from Derrick Brent, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office;
- A welcome from Vaishali Udupa Commissioner for Patents,
- Licensing your intellectual property;
- Branding and trademark protection;
- Sean Wilkerson, Robyn James and Eric Peterson: Turning passion to profits; and
- Understanding Manufacturing.
All those clips are well worth watching. Much of the information and advice would apply here though it has to be remembered that the USA is a different country with different laws, different institutions and a very different business culture.
In my article, I wrote:
"There is no reason why other countries (including ours) should not stage similar conferences. We do stage events like the British Invention Show but there is nothing like Invention-Con. There is a great need for practical advice on patent, design and trade mark prosecution, grant, equity and loan funding, setting up businesses and scaling up which Invention-Con appears to deliver."
For the last 20 years, I have founded and chaired inventors' clubs, given talks, run IP clinics and given practical advice to independent inventors in this and my other publications. I think the time has come to consolidate these activities in one place. I am assembling my articles and case notes into a single pdf manual which will be free to download. I shall continue to canvass support for a British equivalent to Invention-Con.
Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form,
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