NAPP eNews™ for December 2016

 Dear NAPP Members,

Government Affairs

We have a great opportunity as an organization to Engage, Lead, Advocate for positive change in the patent profession.
As I said last month, we "Advocate" by submitting constructive comments to the USPTO's requests for comments, and
the occasional amicus curie brief. In this vein, I strongly encourage your participation in the Government Affairs
Committee. At the moment, were it not for David Stein, our esteemed VP, we would have exactly "0" members of
this very important committee.

Please consider joining David in the Government Affairs Committee. Only through committee work do proposals come
to the board for consideration. It would be awkward indeed for the NAPP board to make pronouncements. This would
be a disservice to the membership. We need to know what positions YOU want us to take on important patent topics!

Annual Meeting and Conference

The second topic I would like to discuss is the Annual Meeting to be held in San Jose in July 2017. If you are a NAPP
member in the Bay Area, especially in the San Jose area, please consider helping the Annual Meeting Committee with
efforts leading up to the meeting, and during the actual meeting. Lisa Adelson and her Committee would appreciate
help with ideas for excursions and restaurants, as well as speakers and sponsors. I do not believe Lisa needs further
members of the committee, but I'm sure she would not mind more help, even if you could function in a support role,
that would be helpful.

Marketing

Dan Krueger and the Marketing Committee have mapped out a marking plan for new patent agents and attorneys, as
well as small firms and solo practitioners, and those considering becoming patent agents and attorneys, such as
scientists and engineers. I just wanted to express thanks to Dan and the Marketing Committee! We have also been
discussing marketing to large law firms and corporate patent departments. This task will be picked up by the
Marketing Committee after the Member Benefits Committee proposes a "firm wide" membership proposal that the
board will then consider and approve.

Member Benefits Committee

Dan Beinart and his committee are making progress in their review of the Patent Practitioner Forum, as well as a
review of insurance providers for member malpractice insurance. Once again, I just wanted to give thanks here to
Dan and his committee. As stated above, after completion of the Forum review and insurance provider review, Dan's
committee will also evaluate different ideas for a "firm wide" membership plan for large patent firms, law firms
having large patent practice sections, and corporate patent departments. The board feels this is a necessity prior
to Marketing Committee actually picking up the ball.

Other NAPP News

The budget process for 2017 continues, and we owe thanks to Bill Richards, our treasurer, and all the budget
suggestions and estimates we have received. This is the NAPP budget, not Bill's budget, or the board's budget.

International News

Thanks to NAPP member George Chen who forwarded a Financial Times article concerning the UK, Brexit, and the
Unified Patent Court (UPC). An excerpt is attached. In short the article reports that the UK will ratify plans for a
single European Patent System, no doubt because the country was the planned site for the court dealing with pharma
and life sciences.

On this date in history....

100 years ago today a patent application was filed for a "Boll-Weevil Destroyer" by William L. Henry and Irven E.
Calloway, of Plehweville, Texas. Either the Patent Office misspelled the name of the town, or the town no longer
exists (at least on Google Maps). The towns of Art, Grit, and Hilda are in Mason County, where Plehweville supposedly
is/was. The patent issued on July 31, 1917. You can find it and others filed 100 years ago today here, courtesy of
Acclaim IP's Free Patents Online:

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/result.html?p=1&edit_alert=&srch=xprtsrch&query_txt=APD%2F12%2F1%2F1916&uspat=on&date_range=all&stemming=on&sort=relevance&search=Search

We hope you enjoy this and future editions of NAPP eNews! If you have content you would like share, such as 
interesting patents, inventors, and other matters of general interest, especially patenting tips, please forward 
them to our Executive Director J.J. Meidl or myself.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey L. Wendt
President

TURN YOURSELF IN!

NAPP has instituted a Member Spotlight program. NAPP's online Members in the News form makes it easy for you to
share your news and keep in touch with your fellow NAPP members. Members in the News is located on the right
side of the website. Share your information and be part of the community!

DID YOU KNOW?

NAPP has been adding patent related events to our online calendar. Looking for patent related CLE, networking events
or wondering when NAPP committee's meet? This is the place to look. If you know of events that would be of interest
to your fellow members send them to [email protected] and we will post them. Check it out here

VENDOR ACCESS PROGRAM

As a member benefit, NAPP includes a list of vendors related to the patent prosecution industry and asks for
discounts on your behalf. Check out our current list of vendors here (you must login to the site to view).
Know of a vendor that would be a good fit? Let us know. Send contact information to [email protected]