PRESS RELEASE Contact: Ruth Nyblod or Jennifer Rankin Byrne (571) 272-8400 or ruth.nyblod@uspto.gov or jennifer.rankin_byrne@uspto.gov

July 17, 2008 #08-27

United States Patent and Trademark Office to Host 13th Annual Independent Inventors Conference Annual conference to offer valuable information for aspiring inventors and entrepreneurs Washington, D.C. – The Department of Commerce's United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will host the 13th Annual Independent Inventors Conference at the agency’s Alexandria, Va. campus on August 8-9, 2008. A pre-conference workshop for beginners, or anyone interested in learning about the basics of patents and the importance of intellectual property protection, will be held on August 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. The two-day conference, co-sponsored with the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation, will bring together leading intellectual property experts, as well as some of the nation's most inspiring inventors, to provide useful tips on protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights in the United States and around the world. Top officials of the USPTO, including Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Margaret J. A. Peterlin and Commissioner for Patents John Doll will be presenters at the conference. “More than 18,000 independent inventors received patents last year—one indication of the vitality of that community in our innovation economy. Through this annual conference and other programs throughout the year, we hope to serve as a valuable resource for independent inventors, arming them with the information they need to protect their inventions," said Deputy Under Secretary Peterlin. Conference attendees will receive practical advice and information on marketing and licensing, patent application preparation, patent and trademark searching, local resources, and how to avoid invention marketing scams. Attendees will also have the opportunity to network one-on-one with experts. Special guest speakers include Louis Foreman, executive producer of the Emmy® award-winning PBS series, Everyday Edisons; Julia M. Rhodes, founder of KleenSlate Concepts, a thriving international company with a growing line of award-winning products; and several intellectual property attorneys. For more information on the conference agenda and registration, see: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/iip/iiconf/registration.html ###