Welcome to 2018!
Hi All! I hope your holidays went well, and that your new year is off to a great start! I predict that 2018 will be a busy, exciting year for us all!
Website Update
January alone will be a month of changes for NAPP. This is the month that Memberclicks, the provider of our association management platform and website, will be moving us to their upgraded software. I, for one, have been extremely impatient to get this transition underway and I'm delighted that this is the month to make it finally happen. Once we complete the transition, you will see some new features that we hope will improve the membership experience, including a new, easy-to-use forum that should be much easier for members to search, to post, and to respond. We will keep you updated as progress happens.
Lapsed Members
As I've mentioned before, our current Memberclicks platform has a "leak", meaning that some of our about-to-expire members haven't been getting the usual renewal reminders. As part of our move to a new platform, we're getting this leak fixed, but if you're not sure about your membership status, please take the time to log in to our website and double-check that your membership and contact info is up to date. We don't want anybody to get accidentally left behind as we migrate to the new website and forum platform.
Chair Positions Available
Speaking of big changes, Dan Beinart has just vacated the Chair of the Member Benefits Committee, and David Stein has vacated the Chair of the Government Affairs Committee. Both of them plan to continue on as members of their respective committees, but have asked the Board to open up the positions for other volunteers who can give these committees the steady guidance they deserve. The committee chairs are responsible for coordinating the activities of the committee members (typically by organizing 6-12 meetings per year), and working with a Board Liaison to set priorities and keep the board informed. If you like NAPP and want to make it better, please consider volunteering for one of these committees!
2018 Budget
I'm happy to report that the Board has approved a budget for 2018 which keeps us $12k in the black! Our primary focus for 2018 is growing our membership, so we've elected to continue and even grow our investment in marketing, setting some aspirational goals for our annual meeting attendance and sponsorship. (Murgitroyd, one of our repeat sponsors, has provided some interesting sponsorship ideas, so watch our website for developments on that front.) We've also budgeted for streaming and recording of the AMC presentations so that our content can reach a wider audience. We had success with streaming content in 2015 and are looking to repeat our performance.
Code of Conduct
Just a reminder that as a professional trade association, NAPP has bylaws that include a Code of Conduct for its members. Specifically, NAPP members are bound by the USPTO Code of Professional Responsibility set forth in 37 CFR 11.101 through 11.901. While complaints are infrequent, they do occur, and can result in a member's suspension or expulsion from NAPP. Please take the time to re-familiarize yourself with the Code of Professional Responsibility and be responsive to communications from your clients, preferably in writing whenever possible.
Local Meetups
Herb Lacey is organizing a NAPP meetup group in North Carolina, extending into Virginia and South Carolina. To make things super-convenient, Herb is planning to make videoconferencing options available for those folks who can't make it in person to the conference room of his Clayton, NC firm. I've found our local Houston meetup invaluable for networking and for exploring creative solutions to my firm's everyday problems, so if you're even a little bit curious I heartily recommend that you reach out to Herb directly or via our Executive Director Brandi at [email protected].
World IP Day 26 April
The annual celebration of World IP Day is on the 26th of April, which this year is on a Thursday. NAPP's Professional Development committee is looking for suggestions and opportunities for NAPP members to reach out to the community to educate the public and other professionals about the value of the patent system and experienced patent prosecutors. Anybody with suggestions or time to volunteer for a presentation at a local school, please reach out to Priya Cloutier or our Executive Director Brandi Gerew at [email protected].
Welcome to NAPP! We received four new members in December. If you know or encounter any of the following folks on the forums or at a local event, please be sure to welcome them to NAPP and let them know we’re glad to have them on board!
- Robert Auerbach of Mill Creek, WA
- Graham Eatwell of Frederick MD
- Jodi Lang of Orange NJ
- Michael Lembo of Souderton PA
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