PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: Jennifer Rankin Byrne Phone: (571) 272-8400 or jennifer.rankin_byrne@uspto.gov

August 04, 2008 #08-31

USPTO Unveils New Educational Museum Exhibit Electronic "Portrait Gallery" Brings History of the U.S. Intellectual Property System to Life Washington, D.C. - The Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today unveiled a new exhibit at the USPTO Museum highlighting past and present individuals who have made a contribution to America's intellectual property (IP) system. The new “Portrait Gallery” exhibit features 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. 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. “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.” The high-definition video exhibit was produced for the USPTO by the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation’s Invent Now Studio and Aperture Films. The Hall of Fame manages the agency’s museum, which also features an interactive exhibit wall, theatre and store. 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 5 p.m. ###