4 minute read
Safeguarding Innovation and Promoting Economic Growth
CONTRIBUTED BY THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
In the ever-evolving landscape of innovation and entrepreneurship, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) plays a crucial role in the nation’s innovation ecosystem. As one of the oldest federal agencies in the U.S., the USPTO is responsible for granting patents and registering federal trademarks to ensure that inventors and businesses can protect their intellectual property (IP), such as groundbreaking inventions, brands, and artistic works.
Intellectual property drives the engine of the nation’s economy. Through IP protections—such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets—individuals and businesses alike can more effectively share, commercialize, and enforce creativity.
IP and its protections are as old as the nation itself; they appear in the U.S. Constitution and were reinforced with the issuance of the first U.S. patent in 1790. Since that time, over 12 million U.S. patents have been issued. Patents—which help generate more than $8 trillion in economic activity annually in IP-intensive industries—are critically important to incentivizing innovation and investment, growing America’s economy, and solving worldwide challenges such as climate change and pandemics.
Delaware is no stranger to intellectual property. As the first state to officially ratify the U.S. Constitution, inventors within its borders have been contributing to the nation’s technological progress since the country was young. One such example was Oliver Evans, the inventor of a high-pressure steam engine, who was born in Newport, Del. in 1755. He was granted several patents within the first years of the patent system. Patent models now housed at the Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington reveal a plethora of technologies patented by Delaware inventors. These include an early refrigerator, an apparatus for operating shuttle boxes for looms, and an improved indicator for train stations.
Several National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees have connections to Delaware, including Evans. Harry Coover, the inventor of Super Glue, was born in Newark in 1917. Maria Telkes, a pioneer in solar technologies known as the “Sun Queen,” taught and researched at the University of Delaware for much of her later career. Stephanie Kwolek, the inventor of Kevlar, perfected her technology in DuPont’s Wilmington research lab. These are just a few examples of the many innovators from Delaware who have improved the lives of Americans over the generations.
Through a range of resources and initiatives, the USPTO ensures that Delaware’s innovators and businesses have the tools they need to protect their intellectual property and bring their ideas to life. USPTO’s Northeast Regional Outreach Office hosts free webinars and events that cover a wide range of topics, from the basics of IP protection to advanced strategies for leveraging patents and trademarks to drive business growth.
Another resource available to Delaware inventors and small business owners is the USPTO’s Patent Pro Bono Program, a nationwide network of independently operated regional programs that match volunteer patent attorneys and agents with financially under-resourced inventors and small businesses to provide free legal assistance in securing patent protection. The USPTO’s presence in Delaware is a testament to our commitment to empowering innovators and promoting economic growth throughout the state. They will continue to support a culture of innovation to drive the state’s business development and contribute to the broader national innovation landscape.
For more information on inventor and entrepreneur resources, visit the USPTO’s website at www.uspto.gov.
