Patent Law

Hubris

By Gary Odom and Jordan Kuhn

The USPTO has unveiled a new electronic "portrait gallery" "highlighting past and present individuals who have made a contribution to America's intellectual property (IP) system." Included are "digital electronic portraits of United States Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison; famous inventor Thomas Edison; National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees Helen Free, who developed home testing for diabetes, and Steve Wozniak, the inventor and co-founder of Apple Computer; and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Jon Dudas."

From the announcement:

The gallery portraits, through the magic of computer-generated special effects and exclusive control software, spontaneously come to life, interactively engaging in humorous banter that highlights the history and growth of America's intellectual property system.

It is fitting, considering that software is not per se patentable, that the PTO refers to software as "magic."

"The Portrait Gallery is a great addition to the USPTO Museum," said Under Secretary Dudas. "It makes for an enlightening and entertaining history lesson that compares the humble beginnings of the IP system to the important role that the USPTO now plays in modern society."

Putting Dudas in the portraits illustrates well the transition from "humble beginnings" to the self-"important role that the USPTO now plays in modern society."

The museum is located in the atrium of the Madison Building at 600 Dulany Street in Alexandria, Va. The museum is free to the public, and is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m.

Full post as published by The Patent Prospector on August 04, 2008 (boomark / email).