Author Archives: mjwhitekingston

The October 2006 issue of Patent Information News is now available. This issue contains articles on: Worldwide database moves to XML EPO patent information conference, Nov. 6-8 esp@cenet user statistics Open Patent Services: new features Legal status from New Zealand … Continue reading →

The educational workbook Inventions and Patents is now available in English, Spanish and French. The workbook is geared toward students 8-13 years old. The workbook is the first in the WIPO student learning series, Learn from the Past, Create the … Continue reading →

The World Intellectual Property Organisation has published its annual report on Statistics of Worldwide Patent Activity. (Data current to 2004.) According to the report, the number of patent applications file in 2004 rose to 1,559,000. More than 600,000 patents were … Continue reading →

Independent inventors often underestimate the hurdles they must overcome in order to get their invention to market. Most don’t even consider the government regulations and industry standards that could derail their attempts. Take the case of Stephen Gass reported in … Continue reading →

The USPTO issued a record-breaking 54,749 patents from April-June and an impressive 50,253 patents in the Q3 from July-September, the first and second highest totals since early 2002. The increase is surprising given the sharp drop in patents in late … Continue reading →

Earlier this year the USPTO requested comments from the public on the proposed elimination of the Document Disclosure Program (DDP). The USPTO established the DDP in 1969 as a simple, low-cost way for inventors to document the date of conception … Continue reading →

OCLC Canada has a new media campaign that links economic growth to libraries. The campaign features testimonials from individuals who have been helped by a librarian. One patent-related story comes from Sam Holman, owner of the Ottawa-based Original Maple Bat … Continue reading →

Tom Stewart and Russel Zeid, hosts of Patent Bending on Discovery Channel Canada, and Rick Minke, their master building/industrial designer, take a look at 19th century personal safety technology in this week’s episode. The subject is a U.S. patent from … Continue reading →

Last month I reported that Discovery Channel Canada was launching a new series called Patent Bending: Mad Ideas – Modern Science. The hosts of the show, inventor Tom Stewart and science guy Russell Zeid, find wacky patents and attempt to … Continue reading →

According to the Sept. 4 issue of Business Week, the USPTO has recently banned Wikipedia as an acceptable source of information for determining the patentability of inventions. Patent examiners and applicants have been citing Wikipedia articles in patents since at … Continue reading →