USPTO

What began as a small group of patent examiners who met during lunch breaks to learn vocal technique and get singing pointers has grown into the Patenteers USPTO Chorus. This voluntary employee organization brings together colleagues, retirees, former employees, and associate members who support the agency at formal and informal events with their musical talents. The Patenteers have rehearsed and performed popular Americana songs, winter holiday songs, choral pieces from show tunes, operas, and operettas to folk songs of different parts of the world. The only requirement for joining is a love for music and the willingness to sing. #TeamUSPTO #DEIA

The ultimate tactical equipment for backyard summer fun, the Super Soaker® remains a favorite for kids and kids at heart. Read about inventor Lonnie Johnson’s path from prototype to patent and trademark protection in our Journeys of Innovation series: http://bit.ly/2UMh1kj

Live long and patent your intellectual property! 🖖 On this day in 1990, Paramount Pictures received a design patent for a Star Trek toy spaceship modeled after the USS Enterprise, crewed by Captain Jean-Luc Picard and others. The franchise has also received design patents for its duty uniforms, tricorder device, Starfleet insignia, phaser, calligraphic font, and more.

Pause and take a moment to self-assess. How are you doing? This National Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re reminding you that you have to take care of yourself to be your best self. We don’t want you to burn the candle at both ends. The health and wellness of our team members is our top priority, and that includes mental health. We know that when our team is supported and cared for, everyone wins. Our Director's Speaker Series features mental health and wellness experts speaking to our workforce and sharing tips for improving how we treat ourselves. Our Employee Assistance Program provides assessment, counseling, referral, training and consultation to our colleagues and their family members. The program offers services in many areas such as marital, legal, family, financial, and identity theft. We also offer wellness webinars, monthly financial literacy events, fitness classes, and more. As America’s Innovation Agency, we continue to develop and advance our health and wellness initiatives. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3yj8yXy. #WellnessWednesday #NationalMentalHealthAwarenessMonth

Industry experts, policy advisors, and IP professionals are coming together to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of space commercialization and its related IP considerations. Join us with NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation (NSF), and more for a dialogue on the current landscape in space commercialization, examination of national and international framework of IP and space law, and valuable insights into collaborative research and development and licensing strategies. 🗓️ May 22 🕘 9 a.m. ET 💻 https://bit.ly/3UV0Uk6

We’re not badgering small business owners about intellectual property (IP) protection, but we did teach them all about IP in the Badger State. Last month, team members from our Midwest Regional Office shared their expertise at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Lieutenant Governor’s Small Business Academy in Appleton, Wisconsin. We joined speakers from the Venture Center at Fox Valley Technical College, SCORE Mentors Fox Cities, and local businesses to discuss the most important aspects of a new business. #TeamUSPTO

Join us in-person in Orlando for a discussion with intellectual property attachés from twelve locations overseas. The program is designed to help small- and medium-sized enterprises in Central Florida understand ways to protect and enforce IP internationally as well as commercial and export considerations. 🗓️ May 16 🕘 9 a.m. ET 📍 University of Central Florida – Digital Learning Center, 12351 Research Parkway, Rooms DLC 136 A&B, Orlando, Florida 💻 https://bit.ly/3WDZZFO

Join our experts to get a better understanding of how examiners make decisions by attending the Stakeholder Training on Examination Practice and Procedure (STEPP) course. The four-day, virtual course is similar to the training of new examiners at the agency. The training focuses on how examiners review patent applications according to the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP). Learn more about the program: https://bit.ly/3Wiq11i 🗓️ May 14 🕘 9 a.m. ET 💻 https://bit.ly/4dfISjz

✨ What a magical weekend celebrating the newest class of inductees into the National Inventors Hall of Fame!    Combined, the inventors hold nearly 400 patents. Their inventions enhanced mainstream effective cancer treatment, improved understanding of life through genomics, enable reliable wireless service around the world, advanced magical experiences through special effects technology, and more.     Thanks to our partners at National Inventors Hall of Fame for helping us recognize these inventors who have our made significant contributions to the world.  2024 Living Inductees: • James Allison, Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy • Shankar Balasubramanian, Sequencing-by-Synthesis (SBS) • Eric Betzig, Photoactivated Localization Microscopy (PALM) • Andrea Goldsmith, Adaptive Beamforming for Multi-Antenna Wi-Fi • Harald Hess, Photoactivated Localization Microscopy (PALM) • David Klenerman, Sequencing-by-Synthesis (SBS) • Asad Madni, MEMS Gyroscope for Aerospace and Automotive Safety • Lanny Smoot, Theatrical Technologies and Special Effects • Xiaowei Zhuang, Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM)

What does a patent examiner do? How can you use your science or engineering degree in this work-from-home career? Tune in to hear about a day in the life of a USPTO patent examiner: how they work within a flexible schedule, what skills they use each workday, what bonuses they can earn, and what career growth looks like. Watch the information webinar, followed by a Q&A session, May 15, noon ET: https://bit.ly/3tLGpv9. If you missed the opportunity to join us in our live discussion, you can access a recording on our YouTube channel.