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A record 554 patents for Nike in 2013 Nike Inc. posted all-time highs for earnings and profits in 2013. It also quietly broke another company record: patents. The Washington County footwear and apparel giant received 554 patents in 2013, according to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office records. That’s a new high. It received 335 in 2012 and 275 in 2011 . Nike’s patent numbers have climbed each year since Mark Parker was named CEO in 2006. A former Nike shoe designer, Parker regularly trumpets the importance of innovation in public remarks and quarterly conference calls. In July, I wrote an in-depth story for the weekly edition about Nike’s patent activity. The company’s recent patents include everything from glasses that can track the flight of a golf ball to numerous shoe technologies. At the time I wrote the story, Nike was on track for 372 patents in 2013. I circled back Monday and checked Nike’s 2013 patent activity. Needless to say, it picked up the pace in the last half of the year. The 554 patents Nike received last year include everything from a dance shoe to a golf bag base. www.facebook.com/a2zmetalworker
Fax: 1.909.887.5910
Nike isn’t the only company rushing to the patent office. Patent activity is climbing nationwide as companies race to get the rights to sell new technology. The sporting goods industry is seen as one of the next big frontiers for patent battles because digital technology is invading everything from basketballs to golf clubs. Of course, a patent doesn’t mean a product is headed to market. Supply chain issues, market forces and consumer demand dictate whether a patented invention will hit store shelves. Here are six slideshows I put together in July that show various Nike patents. • 5 Nike inventions that could change footwear manufacturing •
5 wild Nike shoe designs
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5 Nike inventions coaches will love
• 5 Nike inventions that will change your workout • 18 Nike inventions that will lower your golf handicap •
5 Nike inventions I can’t wait to try A2Z METALWORKER NW •
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Feb/Mar 2014