Join intellectual property experts from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a free workshop on the protection of industrial designs, specifically designed to address the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
This in-person program is being held during the 13th edition of the Detroit Month of Design, an annual festival that connects creatives, introduces them to new markets and consumers, and exposes Detroit’s design aesthetic to worldwide audiences.
Attendees will obtain a better understanding of the economic benefits of robust protections for their industrial designs.
Discussion topics will include:
- The importance of intellectual property for designers
- Industrial design patents and how to obtain them
- The benefits of public searches regarding industrial designs
- Modern design protections that meet the needs of SMEs both domestically and internationally
- How intellectual property offices and government agencies can ease filing burdens, promote industrial design protections, and develop outreach programs to better serve SMEs
- Harmonized and efficient design filing practices at intellectual property offices around the world
This program has been organized in collaboration with the USPTO’s Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional Office in Detroit, and Design Core Detroit, a nonprofit economic development organization within Detroit’s College for Creative Studies that champions design-driven businesses and their role in strengthening Detroit’s economy.
Agenda
Agenda subject to change
12:30–12:40 p.m. Welcoming remarks and introduction
- Keith Mullervy, Patent Attorney, Office of Policy and International Affairs, USPTO
12:40–1:30 p.m. Section 1: Protecting your rights: The importance of intellectual property for designers
- Pete Mehravari, Director, Global IP Academy, Office of Policy and International Affairs, USPTO
1:30–2:20 p.m. Section 2: Understanding the importance of industrial design patents for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and how to obtain them
- Keith Mullervy, Patent Attorney, Office of Policy and International Affairs, USPTO
2:20–2:30 p.m. Break
2:30–3:05 p.m. Section 3: Benefits of public searches regarding industrial designs to SMEs
- Ian Simmons, Design Practice Specialist, USPTO
3:05–3:45 p.m. Section 4: Panel discussion: Insights from industry
- Moderator: Pete Mehravari, USPTO
Panelists:
- Andrew McAleavey, United IP Counselors
Amanda McMillen, Lead Illustrator and Project Manager, Bluebot Studios
3:45–4:25 p.m. Section 5: Panel discussion: Resources for SMEs
- Moderator: Keith Mullervy, USPTO
Panelists:
- Denise Glassmeyer, Shareholder, Young Basile; Adjunct Professor and Supervisory Patent Attorney, Detroit Mercy Law; Michigan Pro Bono Project
- Jim Stevens, Shareholder, Reising Ethington; Adjunct Professor, Detroit Mercy Law; Michigan Pro Bono Project
4:25–4:30 p.m. Conclusion
- Pete Mehravari, USPTO
4:25–4:30 p.m. Program evaluations
Additional information
For more information, visit the registration page or email keith.mullervy@uspto.gov in the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs.
This program is hosted by the USPTO’s Global Intellectual Property Academy, a unit of the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA). The office advises the administration and other federal government departments and agencies on domestic and international IP legal and policy issues. It also provides technical assistance and training on IP-related matters to U.S. stakeholders and both U.S. and foreign government officials.
Accessibility accommodation
If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please submit your request to the contact information listed above.