Inventors and Patents From the City of Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Public Library participates in the Patent and Trademark Resource Center Program, which assists the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This program is a valuable resource for inventors and patent holders. It provides access to information and tools, including the Patent and Trademark Database, which is updated regularly. The LAPL is also home to a patent archive.

The Science, Technology, and Patents Department at Central Library offers computerized search of patents, trademarks, and other copyrights. Library users can conduct their own searches. Computers are always available to the public on a first-come basis.The use of the intellectual property databases is completely free. However, printing costs $.25 per page. Also, they have collections in print and microfilm.

Los Angeles Public Library is among over 80 U.S. Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (formerly Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries), located across the United States. These libraries aid the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with disseminating trademark and patent information. The following are other Patent Resource Centers located in California:

The patent process involves many laws and regulations, policies, procedures, and policies. Therefore, the USPTO recommends that you use a registered agent to help with your application. The USPTO recognizes that legal assistance can be expensive for many applicants, especially small business inventors. The Pro Se Assistance Program was created to assist small businesses and independent inventors in achieving their goal of protecting valuable intellectual properties.

Image credit: Unspalsh

Pro Se Assistance Program

The Pro Se Assistance Program is a program that provides education and outreach to applicants (also called “pro se” applicants). This program assists applicants who file patent applications on their own without the help of an agent or registered patent attorney. USPTO employees are not authorized to give legal advice.

The program provides increased support and resources to small businesses and independent inventors, and aims to improve the quality of pro-se applications. It also assists pro-se applicants in making informed decisions about their patent applications.

University of California Los Angeles

The University of California Los Angeles inventors and patent program helps to move new inventions from the lab to the marketplace. The program builds alliances with companies to commercialize patented research and create innovative products for consumers. It also creates new jobs and businesses for Californians. Patents are valuable to the university and can generate revenue for the university and local communities.

The National Academy of Inventors, or NAI, was established in 2010, with the mission of recognizing innovators and inspiring innovation-minded students. In its eight years of existence, the NAI has awarded fellowships to more than 1,000 people from 250 institutions worldwide. These alumni have formed more than 9,000 companies and licensed nearly 11,000 inventions.

Each year, the National Inventors Hall of Fame inducts a new class of inventors who have improved the quality of life. Past inductees include Arthur Ashkin, who invented the optical tweezers and helped make eyeglasses safer.

Inventions and patents

Electric guitars

Although hard rock was not invented in L.A. it is possible to have it without an electric guitar.The Electro String Instrument Corporation is now known as Rickenbacker. It debuted its first electric guitars in a small store in Los Angeles’ Van Ness neighborhood.

Image credit: Google Patents

The internet

In 1969 a MIT graduate and computer science professor at UCLA, he was the first person to create a network that allows computers to communicate and share resources. To allow computers to connect and access each others’ information, he created a network of high-speed lines linking Stanford Research Institute and UCLA.

LOGIN was the first message to be sent over the internet. However, only two letters were able to reach their destination before the internet crashed. This was the beginning of the amazing journey that is the internet today. Life has never been the same!

Mickey Mouse

Young Walt Disney was fired for not having the talent to draw, but the existence a certain animated mouse strongly suggests otherwise.In 1923, Walt Disney moved to Los Angeles and began working in animation from a garage.

Disney’s Mortimer Mouse was created at the Walt Disney Studio, which his wife demanded be changed to Mickey Mouse. Mickey’s innovative sound animations, color cartoons and sound effects earned him a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame as well as over 10 Academy Award nominations.

While Mickey Mouse is not patentable subject matter, it is inventive.  The Mickey Mouse icon is protected under trademark and copyright laws.  Mickey Mouse’s copyright is set to expire at the end of 2023—nearly 95 years after his first iteration, named “Steamboat Willie,” was created on October 1, 1928. This means that he will enter the public domain.  However, don’t worry for the Disney corporation, as it is still protected by trademark laws which lasts as long as the mark is still being used.

Image credit: Unsplash

Barbie

Ruth Handler, an L.A.-based entrepreneur who was also a Mattel co founder, invented Barbie in 1959. She named the toy after Barbara, her daughter. The cultural influence of Barbie is almost unrivalled, and new versions are being released every day. In 2015, Barbie learned to chat using artificial Intelligence. While Barbie is not patentable, it is inventive.  The Barbie icon is protected under trademark and copyright laws. 

Skateboards

North Hollywood surf shop owner Bill Richards created the first modern skateboard when he attached clay wheels on sanded boards back in 1958.

https://www.ycombinator.com/documents/
https://techcrunch.com/
https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/startup-resources
https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/fund-your-business
https://hbr.org/1998/11/how-venture-capital-works
http://patentpc.com/
http://uspto.gov/

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