Increasing Inventor Diversity

Economic power is often dependent upon intellectual property. IIPSJ seeks to empower minority and marginalized communities as inventors to compete for and attain a stake in the 21st century economy.

Recent Developments

Empowering Inventors

We must empower minority communities to not only invent and create, but also to take full ownership and control of the use of their intellectual property so that it can be used both for societal good as well as for economic empowerment for themselves and their communities.  IIPSJ both participates in and encourages a continuing dialogue on ways to accomplish this goal.  Below you can find some of those conversations; including videos from CLE presentations, blog posts, comments submitted to the USPTO and before the Senate.  We encourage you to review the resources to learn more and join us to spread the word on this important topic.

 

“An intellectual property system designed to guarantee socially equitable access to its apparatus and to its benefits irrespective of wealth, class, race, ethnicity, or geographic situs, ensures that the widest possible network of minds and hearts will find the inspiration to conceive, invent, express, share, and experience intellectual accomplishment.” – Professor Lateef Mtima, IIPSJ Director

Watch the full video
Lateef Mtima speaks before the Senate Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, April 2021.

Articles, Blog Posts, Videos & More

March 2, 2023

FROM TO

Online only

IP & Social Justice CLE and Microsoft Tech Law Summit

Save the date for our 20th Annual IP and Social Justice CLE & the 5th Annual Microsoft Tech Law Summit!  Online only. March 2-3, 2023.  Sign up for our newsletter to be notified when details are available.

 

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September 29, 2022

FROM 7:00 pm TO 8:00 pm

Online Conference

IP for the People – Getting Started with Intellectual Property

Do you have an idea for a new invention?
Have you recently started a new online business venture?
Are you an artist that created new art recently?

If so, you’ve probably got some intellectual property rights and need to know what to do about it.

During this 1 hour webinar, we will provide:

an explanation of what intellectual property rights are;
real-world examples of how they come up in your business ideas and creative processes;
an interview with an author that will share how she learned more about IP law and how that has helped her;
resources for more information, including how to get free or low cost legal help; and
time for questions.

Check out our webpage for additional details: Intellectual Property Education – IIPSJ

 

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October 28, 2022

FROM TO

Online Conference

2022 IP Mosaic Conference

Save the date for the 2022 IP Mosaic Conference! 

October 28-29, 2022

Co-hosted by Marquette University Law School

Bookmark our webpage for additional details: https://iipsj.org/programs/ip-mosaic/

 

 

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FROM TO

IP for the People Series – IP for Entrepreneurs

During this 1 hour session, participants will learn:

  • IP must-haves when you are building your business
  • Strategies to protect the core of your business with limited capital
  • Turning your IP into a product
  • Protecting your IP when you are pitching to investors

Webinar Speakers:

Moderators:

Lisa Nguyen, Partner – Allen & Overy LLP

Leeandria Williams, Legal Intern – IIPSJ

Panelists:

Micheal Binns, Associate General Counsel and Head of Patent Portfolio Strategy (Family of Apps) and IP Trade Secret Protection – Meta

Danielle Coleman, Senior Director and Associate General Counsel, Global Litigation – VMware

Jessica Thomson, Patent Counsel – The Walt Disney Company

 

Check out our past webinars on our YouTube page.

Creators, inventors, and entrepreneurs from communities of color have historically and continually been unable to access key knowledge and resources to protect and profit from their ideas. In response, we’ve created our new Intellectual Property Education Webinar Series to help you understand and explore the rights and resources available to you. Each webinar in the series will feature a presentation, resources for additional information, and time for questions from the audience.

Check out our event webpage for more information and to find details on future events: https://iipsj.org/ip-education/

Learn More

IIPSJ Videos
IP for the People – Patent Law for Engineers

Virtual Intellectual Property Education Series

IIPSJ Advocacy

Improving Access and Inclusivity in the Patent System: Unleashing America’s Economic Engine

Responses to Specific Questions for the Record Submitted to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property
Lateef Mtima
Howard University School of Law
(Submitted September 12, 2022)

IIPSJ Blog Post
Importance of Diversity and Innovation

Why increasing diversity in STEAM fields will further solidify the United States as a global leader.

IIPSJ Video
CLE Panel – Increasing Inventor Diversity

Watch panelists from our 2021 CLE program discuss ways in which we can increase minority inventorship.

IIPSJ Post with Article Links
IP and Innovation: What’s Race Got To Do With It?

Spotlight on four articles that provide compelling insight on the question of the relevance of race to IP law and innovation policy.

Senate Testimony Video

Improving Access & Inclusivity in the Patent System: Unleashing America’s Economic Engine
Watch Professor Lateef Mtima and others provide testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Intellectual Property.

“As we explore ways to build this [IP] ecosystem, we must acknowledge why this is important to the country as a whole and specifically in minority communities, identify current barriers to equal access and opportunities, and provide solutions for breaking down those barriers.” – Tashia Bunch, IIPSJ Administrative Director

IIPSJ Blog Post
IDEA Act of 2021

Details about the reintroduction of the Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement Act.

IIPSJ News

First Black Judge on the CAFC
Learn more about the 2021 confirmation for Tiffany P. Cunningham, the first Black judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

IIPSJ Advocacy
IIPSJ Comments to the USPTO on the Future of the NCEAI

Read IIPSJ’s comments submitted to the USPTO on the next steps for the National Council for Expanding American Innovation (NCEAI).

IIPSJ Videos

Interviews with Attorneys of Color in IP
Watch interviews with successful IP attorneys of color to hear their honest perspective on diversity in the field.

IIPSJ Video
CLE Panel – Patents and the Continuing Struggle for Civil Rights

Watch panelists from our 2020 CLE program discuss the historical struggle surrounding patent ownership for African-Americans and current advancements.

IIPSJ Blog Post

The SUCCESS Act: Where We Stand & The Path Forward
Outline of the goals and findings of Congress’ SUCCESS Act and a discussion of the lack of diverse inventors.

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