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Author Archives: mjwhitekingston
Nortel’s Patent Plum
Nortel Networks, one of Canada’s leading telecommunication technology companies during the 20th century, is bankrupt and in the process of selling off its assets, including its hefty portfolio of thousands of patents and other intellectual property. This week a high … Continue reading
Posted in Ericsson, Nortel, Research in Motion
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Class 310 Reorganized
The USPTO has reorganized Class 310: Electrical Generator or Motor Structure. Details are provided in Classification Order #1887. Class 310, which was created in 1953, is a bit atypical in that it is a residual class intended to cover technology … Continue reading
Posted in classification orders
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One Giant Step for Mankind? Moon Ads?
While the world celebrates the 40th anniversary of the first manned-mission to the moon, an entrepreneur in Utah wants to patent a system for creating ads on the moon. David Jones, owner of Moon Publicity of West Valley City, Utah, … Continue reading
Posted in Advertising
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Patent Models on Display at Harvard
Harvard University’s Science Center has a new exhibit of 19th century American patent models. The exhibit, which is called “Patent Republic,” is on display until December and features about 75 patent models from the collection of Susan M. E. Glendening, … Continue reading
Posted in Patent models
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Patent Statistics and Economic Development: Pros and Cons
Patent attorney Stephen Nipper and fellow blogger Chris Blanchard make some interesting comments on the use and misuse of patent statistics as measures of economic development and technological innovation. Both point to the case of Idaho, which in recent years … Continue reading
Posted in Patent statistics
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US Patent Counts, Q2 2009
The USPTO issued 48,596 patents in Q2, down slightly from 2008, and published 81,288 applications, 4.6 percent more than the same period last year. Approximately 2.1 million plant and utility patent applications have been published since 2001. The USPTO is … Continue reading
Posted in Patent statistics, USPTO
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Inventor of Magic Fingers Vibrating Bed, 1916-2009
The inventor of the Magic Fingers Vibrating Bed, John Houghtaling, died last week at the age of 92. Houghtaling patented his invention in 1962 (US 3,035,572), and founded Magic Fingers, Inc. to commercialize it. His company installed millions of units … Continue reading
Posted in Houghtaling, inventors, Magic Fingers
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AusPat v1.3 Enhancements
IP Australia has announced the release of AusPat v1.3, the new web-based Australian patent database that replaced the PatSearch system in early 2008. AusPat v1.3 enhancements include (quoting from the release memo): “e-Journal functionality has been incorporated into AusPat with … Continue reading
Posted in AusPat, Australian patents, IP Australia, Patent databases
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The Patented Mouse That Roared
This week’s Nature magazine reports that two genetic research labs, Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine and the Central Institute for Experimental Animals in Kawasaki, Japan, are involved in dispute over a patent mouse. CIEA sued Jackson in December, 2008 … Continue reading
Posted in Transgenic animals
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Canada Rejects Amazon’s One-Click Patent
The Canadian Patent Appeal Board has rejected Amazon’s patent application (CA 2246933 A1) for its one-click online shopping feature, according to a report in ipFrontline. The Board’s decision deals a blow against so-called business methods, which it believes are not … Continue reading
Posted in Amazon, Business Method Patents
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Patent Librarian's Notebook 