United States Patent and Trademark Office (via Mowser)

Jay Thomas poses next to a wall of patent certificates. He is wearing a suit and tie and glasses.

Georgetown Law Professor Jay Thomas. | USPTO photo by Arva Petra Adams

Georgetown Law's Jay Thomas Arrives as the First Thomas Alva Edison Visiting Professional

The USPTO's new Thomas Alva Edison Visiting Professionals Program is designed to enlist the services of academia and intellectual property industry leaders. The visiting professionals will devote up to six months of full-time service to the agency.

Patents for Humanity with an irrigation system watering crops.

Patents for Humanity: Global Challenges Demand Global Solutions

Patents for Humanity is an awards competition for patent owners and licensees. It is the USPTO's voluntary pilot program to recognize patent owners who apply their patented technology to address humanitarian needs.

Four USPTO senior leaders participating in a recent webinar.

Live Webinar with USPTO Senior Leadership Set For February 21

Join USPTO Director David Kappos and other members of the USPTOâ€™s senior leadership team on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012 for the next in our regular series of live webinars discussing the agencyâ€™s latest news and issues. Submit your questions today.

Map of US showing roadshow and hearing dates and locations

USPTO to Host Educational Public "Roadshow" Series on America Invents Act

The USPTO has planned a series of cross-country roadshows to discuss our proposed rules implementing various provisions of the America Invents Act. In addition to the AIA roadshows, there will be several hearings to discuss issues related to genetic testing and fee setting. The programs begin this week at USPTO headquarters.

Women Entrepreneurs: Celebrating the Past, Inventing the Future. A Women's History Month Event, March 1, 2012.

USPTO and National Women's Business Council to Pay Tribute to Women's Innovation and Entrepreneurship

To celebrate Womenâ€™s History Month in March, the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the National Womenâ€™s Business Council will pay tribute to women whose ingenuity and inventions have improved our lives.

President Obama smiles standing next to Yvonne Brill after presenting her with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation

President Obama smiles after presenting Yvonne Brill with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, Oct. 21, 2011. | USPTO photo by Arva Adams

Who Should Receive a National Medal of Technology and Innovation?

The USPTO is accepting nominations for the 2012 National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Awarded each year by the President of the United States, the medal is the nation's highest honor granted to groundbreaking inventors and innovators. The deadline for nominations is March 31, 2012.