Innovator Spotlight

A forum for inventors and other IP stakeholders to discuss their work, the role IP plays for them and to help educate the public on the link between strong IP protection and robust innovation.

Sharon Prost, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

All Hands on Deck and Ready for the Post-AIA Era U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit) Chief Judge Sharon Prost never planned on being at the helm of the nation’s key IP court. While in college

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Manisha A. Desai, Genetic Resources & Traditional Knowledge Committee

Searching for Balance between Innovation and Tradition Manisha A. Desai, Ph.D., Chair of IPO’s Genetic Resources & Traditional Knowledge (GR/TK) Committee and Assistant General Patent Counsel at Eli Lilly and Company, spends a fair amount of her professional time tackling

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Meet Team FireArmor: Winner, IPOEF’s 2015 Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge Grant

How Four Innovative Teens Are Working to Keep Firefighters Safer Team FireArmor is one of the five winners of the 2015 Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge, an honor bestowed upon a team of high school inventors and entrepreneurs. The competition

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Paul Sanberg, Ph.D., D.Sc., President, National Academy of Inventors

Universities, Industry and Governments Must Partner to Advance True Innovation Dr. Sanberg is also Senior Vice President for Research, Innovation & Economic Development; Executive Director, Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair; Distinguished University Professor; University of South Florida

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Manny Schecter, Chief Patent Counsel, IBM

Stop the Rhetoric to Improve Public Perception Introduced to patents by his inventor father, Manny Schecter has worked with IBM since the 1980s—first as an engineer and then as an attorney, after attending law school through a program offered by

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Krish Gupta: Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, EMC Corporation

Reform is Necessary to Keep the U.S. Patent System on Top As a former engineer with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), Krish Gupta has been keenly aware of the need for a strong patent system throughout his career. During his early

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