New Issue of ID Is Out - Come And Get It!

OK, Edison Nation Gold Members ... for the past couple of days you've had access to the latest edition of Inventors Digest.

This month, we feature famed British inventor James Dyson. Read how he took on the goliaths in the vacuum industry ... and won!

We give Gold Members advance access to the magazine. The entire issue is available on a PDF.

We will be posting most of the July issue on the Inventors Digest site in the coming days.

Thank You, Providence

We returned from the final Season Three casting call for Everyday Edisons safe and sound. It was great meeting all of you last weekend. I always come away from these things with a great sense of uplift. A special shout out to Ron Komorowski, a New Jersey inventor who helped me at the Inventors Digest booth. He’s a great evangelist for the magazine and inventors.
You should check out the forum at Edison Nation to see what attendees are saying about the event.

Providence provided a mother lode of potential products for commercialization, I'm told.

What amazed me was how far some of the attendees trekked. There was one guy from Oregon!
Although I didn’t get a lot of time to take in the sights of Providence, some colleagues and I enjoyed a 4-hour walking tour of downtown Boston. ID Assistant Editor Mary Dickson (pictured) graduated from Boston University. She gave us an insider’s look at her college town. My favorites: Fenway Park (natch), where I persuaded some union guy to allow my bud Arcadio inside to take a quick picture, and the Granary Cemetery, where some of our country’s Founding Fathers and Mother Goose are buried.

I’ve got some exciting news about some major media attention coming our way. Stay tuned ….

Meet the Vacuum Rebel

Here’s a sneak peek of what we’ll be featuring in our upcoming issue of Inventors Digest :

We travelled to Malmesbury, England, to meet with James Dyson, inventor of the Cyclone line of bagless vacuums. Our story chronicles his 14-year struggle to market his revolutionary line of products. Established industry experts mocked and rebuffed him.

“If there were a way to build a better vacuum,” they all told him, “Hoover or Electrolux would have invented it.” When Dyson proved them wrong and his product became the leading-selling vacuum in the UK, some of those very naysayers copied his products and infringed on his patents.

His is an amazing story of intelligence and persistence, tinged with a bit of rebellion. Look for the July issue to hit in the coming weeks. Early editions will be available at Edison Nation, where you can get a free subscription to the print edition by becoming a Gold Member.

'Minnovation'

If you're in the vicinity of the Twin Cities this summer, check this out:

The Minneapolis Central Library’s “Minnovation: 150 Years of Ingenuity”

What do Rollerblades, Scotch tape, seat belts and the Tilt-a-Whirl have in common? All were invented in Minnesota. The Minneapolis Central Library is hosting “Minnovations: 150 Years of Ingenuity,” a celebration of Minnesota inventions and inventors. Paying tribute to Minnesota’s thriving culture of invention, the exhibition highlights the best of the library’s patent collection.

Minneapolis Central Library is Minnesota’s Patent and Trademark Depository Library. The exhibition is made possible by a Legacy Grant from the Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission. Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Cargill Hall, Library Atrium and Space 144
May 1-Aug. 17, Tues and Thurs, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Wed, Fri, Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Related events at Minneapolis Central Library:

Patent Workshops
Wednesdays; May 7, June 4, July 2, Aug. 6; 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Best Buy Technology Center
Saturdays; May 10, June 14, July 12, Aug. 9; 10-11 a.m., RKMC Meeting Room, S-275
Minneapolis Central Library has the only Patent and Trademark Depository Library in Minnesota. Join library staff and learn the basics about patents, patenting and how to conduct your own patent search.

Minnovation: Meet the Inventors
June 7, 2-4 p.m.
Children’s LibraryFor kids entering grade 2 and up. Have you ever wanted to invent something to make life easier or more fun? Discover how to spark your inventive imagination. Meet some award-winning kid inventors and Scott Olson, the inventor of Rollerblades.

Finding Betty Crocker
June 10, 7-8 p.m.
Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Board Room
For more than 80 years, Betty Crocker has been one of America’s most recognized trademarks and the most successful branding campaign in the world. What is it about Betty? Susan Marks, author of Finding Betty Crocker, offers an entertaining, charming and utterly unique look at an American icon. Join us and discover all things Betty.

For more info: www.hclib.org and www.mplib.org

Poor, Poor Patent System

There's an interesting discussion about the state of patent submissions going on at geek forum slashdot right now. Seems USPTO Director Jon Dudas kicked up a storm for noting the poor quality of patent applications and the woeful state of the current patent system. Among his oberservations: the U.S. patent system "rewards those people ... well out of proportion with their contribution to any product."

USPTO launches new pilot

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is initiating a six-month pilot program that will allow an applicant to have an interview with the patent examiner prior to the first Office action on the merits in a new utility application.

The First Action Interview Pilot program will expedite prosecution of the patent application by enhancing the interaction between the applicant and the examiner, providing the applicant an opportunity to resolve patentability issues one-on-one with the examiner at the beginning of the review process. The program will begin on April 28.

“As we have learned from our Accelerated Examination program, an interview between the applicant and examiner early in the review process can help resolve issues more quickly and expedite a final decision,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Jon Dudas. “We believe the enhanced information exchange in the First Action Interview Pilot program will offer dual benefits of reduced pendency and improved patent quality.”

Currently, an applicant may request an interview prior to a first action. Granting of an interview is within the discretion of the examiner who has not yet reviewed the case, and the applicant may be required to identify relevant documents and explain how the invention is patentable over these documents.

Under the pilot program, the examiner will conduct a prior art search and provide the applicant a pre-interview communication which is a condensed preview of objections or rejections proposed against the claims. Within 30 days from the issue date of the pre-interview communication, the applicant must either choose not to have a first action interview with the examiner, or schedule the interview and file a proposed amendment and/or remarks.

National Trademark Expo

U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Jon Dudas will formally open the National Trademark Expo on Thursday, April 10. Joining Under Secretary Dudas will be Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille, Smokey Bear, the Pillsbury Doughboy®, Sprout® and other iconic trademarked characters. Also on hand will be Anson Williams, who played “Potsie” on the 1970s TV series, “Happy Days.” His firm Starmaker Products is an exhibitor at the Expo.

Twelve other corporate exhibitors including Microsoft®, Owens-Corning®, Burberry®, Callaway Golf® and NASCAR® will provide exciting interactive displays that illustrate the vital role trademarks play in the global economy. The Expo also will highlight the Federal Government’s efforts to combat counterfeit goods, which costs America billons of dollars each year. The Expo is free, fun, and informative for the whole family.

WHO: Speaking at 10:00 a.m., Thursday
• City of Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille
• Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property Jon Dudas
• Commissioner for Trademarks Lynne Beresford

For a complete list and description of the exhibits, see: http://www.uspto.gov/main/homepagenews/2008mar31a.htm.

WHAT: National Trademark Expo

WHEN: Opening ceremony – Thursday, April 10, at 10:00 a.m.
Expo is open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Thursday - Saturday

WHERE: USPTO campus, atrium of the Madison building, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Va.