Small Business IP Protection and Management

Patents and Economic Growth

How important is intellectual property to economic growth?  According to a recent editorial in the Toledo Blade, there is a direct correlation.  A few excerpts appear below.

"A concentration on tax cuts and old-line industries will not get the job done. The key is less tangible, though it fuels economic growth. It is ideas, as measured by the number of patents filed.

. . . The numbers, collected over a period of almost three years and going back 75 years, tell a persuasive story of what fuels economic growth, or allows for decline.

They show that Ohio's economic stumble matches the decline in the number of patents generated.

The Buckeye State was sixth in per-capita patents nationally in 1954, 11th in 1988, and 20th in 2001. A Harvard University study underscores those data by noting that in 2003 the national average for patent generation was 7.81 per 10,000 employees. In Ohio, the figure was 4.81.

. . . A pattern is clear. Intellectual property, the patents that are licenses for a monopoly on an idea, generate jobs, income, and growth. Patents are not about fanciful theories but practical ideas that translate into the bricks and mortar of factories and laboratories, into new jobs, and good paychecks.

Ideas fuel growth. Patents produce wealth. These are concepts that should inform the policy platforms of Ohio's gubernatorial candidates."

650 Mile Walk to Benefit 9/11 Memorials

This is not IP related, but something very worthwhile.  Four high school students from my home town are walking from Rossford, Ohio to New York City to raise money for memorials for 9/11.  Below are links to an article in the Toledo Blade, and a Myspace site.

Blade Article

Myspace Link

Rural Development in China - Becoming a Priority

Rural development in China is becoming more of a priority, according to a report in China View.  According to the report, Chinese President Hu Jintao has "asked provincial and ministerial heads to attach importance and take concrete actions to boost rural development".  President Jintao is calling this a "project for the people" that will benefit the large number of farmers in China.  Income for farmers is expected to increase as a result of the development.

For a related article, go here.

USPTO Completely Moved

The USPTO has announced that the move to Alexandria, Virginia is complete.  A press release from the USPTO is included below:

USPTO Completes Move to New Headquarters

WASHINGTON, D.C. --The U.S. Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced completion of its move to new, consolidated headquarters in Alexandria, VA, which involved relocating over 7,000 employees and contractors. The consolidation from 18 buildings in Crystal City, VA, is expected to save the federal government more than $98 million over the 20-year term of the lease.

The USPTO’s new 2.4 million sq. ft. facility includes five interconnected buildings, designed in a “U” shape configuration to form a campus-like setting. The centerpiece of the facility is the signature “Madison” building, remarkable for its 10-story atrium. The USPTO headquarters also includes four companion office buildings and two parking structures, each with a facade of townhouse offices.

“We are proud that construction stayed on or ahead of schedule and under budget,” noted Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Jon Dudas. “We now have a world-class, state-of-the-art facility that is better equipped to support the mission of the USPTO.”

USPTO's new headquarters is designed to accommodate cutting edge technology, necessary to fully automate the processing of patent and trademark applications. Modern buildings and equipment and employee-friendly services, including a child-development center, multipurpose meeting facilities, and fitness center, give USPTO the opportunity to attract and retain a highly skilled workforce.

For more information on the new USPTO campus, see attached fact sheet.