|
 August 2023
|
|
Greetings from Director Vidal |
|
Last week, I joined Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts for an Entrepreneurship Essentials Workshop and Resource Fair. Over 100 military personnel, military spouses, and veterans attended in-person, with hundreds more online, as they heard from experts in business development and intellectual property (IP). The event included tips and resources on every angle of entrepreneurship.
Growing up in a career military family, my father served in the U.S. Navy as a senior chief, I spent my childhood on military bases all over the world. I know first-hand the struggles of making ends meet, having watched my father take on a multitude of other jobs to supplement our income. This experience helps fuel my passion for connecting service members and their families with helpful resources we provide at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and others throughout the government.
You can find additional information below about small business and IP protection resources that can help you plan for success, protect your ideas, and grow your business.
Kathi Vidal
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO
P.S. Stay up to date with the latest news for inventors and entrepreneurs! To sign up to receive each issue of this newsletter, visit our subscription center and select "USPTO Inventor Newsletter" from the topic list.
|
|
Looking for a mentor who knows the ins and outs of intellectual property protection?
The USPTO has partnered with the Intellectual Property Owner’s Association (IPO) to launch the Women Entrepreneurs (WE) MENTEE Pilot Program. If you’re a woman entrepreneur or small business owner seeking support as you grow your leadership skills, build relationships, and achieve professional goals, this is the program for you. Take the opportunity to advance your career and ideas with women mentors who are leaders in the intellectual property (IP) field. Apply today.
- Are you a successful woman entrepreneur looking to share your knowledge and build community with fellow up-and-coming women innovators? Consider applying to be a mentor in the program.
- If you’d like to help get the word out about this great program, like, share, or retweet our recent social media posts on your favorite platforms:
- Join us for our next #WeWednesday event, Educating the next generation of innovators, on Wednesday, August 9 from noon to 1 p.m. ET, and hear a panel of successful women entrepreneurs discuss the importance of STEM education for girls and young women, how to mentor the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs, and the challenges and opportunities that come with entrepreneurship. And if you’re in the Wilmington, Delaware area, please come out to the Hagley Museum to attend the event in person!
Help us honor the big thinkers who are serving their communities.
Help us honor the big thinkers who are serving their communities through their eco-friendly innovations and services. We’ve extended the application deadline for the Patents for Humanity and Trademarks for Humanity awards programs to September 15.
The Patents for Humanity: Green Energy awards program recognizes those who are creating technologies to mitigate the effects of climate change. Winners will receive a certificate that grants them accelerated USPTO processing for one eligible matter.
The inaugural Trademarks for Humanity: Trademarks and the Environment awards program recognizes brand owners who are improving the environment through the products or services they offer in connection with a federally registered trademark.
Winners of both competitions will be recognized at a public awards ceremony sponsored by the USPTO.
To learn more or submit applications, please visit the Patents for Humanity page or the Trademarks for Humanity page on the USPTO website.
|
Exploring business possibilities in Southeast Asia?
 |
|
Are you a small or medium-sized enterprise looking at doing business in Southeast Asia for the first time? Get valuable insights on protecting and enforcing your intellectual property (IP) rights in this region at our upcoming Southeast Asia IP Roadshow, happening August 8 from 7-9 p.m. ET. Get more information and register today. |
|
|
USPTO needs to hear from you |
|
How can the USPTO's patent pro bono programs broaden access to IP protection?
 Make sure your voice is heard! We want your feedback on the nationwide network of patent pro bono programs that provide free legal assistance to inventors. Your evaluation will help us make recommendations to improve the programs and to strengthen their reach and impact. Be sure to submit your comments by August 11. You can find information on how to submit comments in the Request for Comments.
How can we better combat counterfeiting and piracy?
Counterfeit and pirated products are a very real threat to American jobs and small businesses, our economic prosperity, and the health and safety of American consumers. We’re asking for your input as inventors and innovators on effective anticounterfeiting and antipiracy strategies. What are the trends you’re seeing? What strategies are working? What ideas do you have for future strategies?
See the Request for Comments for more information and submit your comments by August 23.
You can also join us online or in person at USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia on October 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET for a roundtable on future strategies in anticounterfeiting and antipiracy. For more information on roundtable topics and to register, visit the event page.
|
Help improve the USPTO website experience!
Have you searched for ways to protect your invention or looked at securing a trademark? If you’ve found yourself in the beginning stages of protecting your intellectual property (IP), we want to hear from you! We're looking for volunteers to provide their insights and experiences in navigating our website, and we want to speak with emerging innovators who are just starting their journey to secure IP protection. Sign up to volunteer, so that we hear your valuable feedback and improve the customer search experience.
|
|
Need resources to bring your ideas to market? |
|
August resources highlight: Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC) and Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
Are you a veteran, service member, or military spouse interested in starting or growing a small business? The Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) program provides business training, counseling, and resource referrals, including transition assistance programs, entrepreneurial development workshops, building a business plan, mentorships, and more. Learn more about VBOC services and find your nearest VBOC on the program webpage.
Looking for information to support your start-up or expand your current business? Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) are here to provide counseling and training to small businesses. SBDC programs deliver high-quality individualized business advising and technical assistance to existing small businesses and pre-venture entrepreneurs. Get problem-solving assistance to build capital, develop technologies, improve planning and strategy, and more. Visit the SBDC website to get more information and find an SBDC in your area.
|
Stay up to date with the latest news for inventors and entrepreneurs! To sign up to receive each issue of this newsletter, visit our subscription center and select "USPTO Inventor Newsletter" from the topic list.
|
|
|
|
|
