Patents, Patents

The Patent Office: Back in the day

Everyone is talking about the recent US News rankings of universities, including questions as to what such rankings really mean. So, if you're tired of that discussion, here is an alternative from Forbes:

The University of California System again ranks first among the top 100 universities worldwide for the most U.S. patents granted for inventions in 2021. The rankings, released today, by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association, are based on utility patents issued between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2021.*

A utility patent - sometimes called a "patent for invention" - is a patent that covers the creation of a new or improved product, process, or machine. The number of utility patents granted to a university or its research foundation is a key indicator of the degree to which its research activity has unique commercial potential for which the institution is seeking legal protection.

The Top 100 has been published annually... since 2013, using data obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The ranking highlights the role patents play in translating university discoveries into useful technologies and new products...

Full story at https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2022/09/07/university-of-california-ranks-first-among-universities-worldwide-for-patents-granted/.

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*The rankings are at https://academyofinventors.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/8.17.2022-Top-100.pdf.

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To hear the text above, click on the link below:

https://ia601402.us.archive.org/25/items/big-ten/patents.mp3