USPTO Announces 2015 Patents For Humanity Winners
On April 13, 2015, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced the winners of the third annual Patents for Humanity program. Launched by the USPTO in February 2012 as part of an Obama administration initiative promoting game-changing innovations to solve long-standing development challenges, Patents for Humanity is a competition recognizing patent owners and licensees who address global challenges in health and standards of living. The entrants compete in five categories: medicine, nutrition, sanitation, household energy, and living standards. Award recipients receive public recognition at an award ceremony sponsored by the USPTO.
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office Michelle K. Lee noted that industries are coming to the realization of the positive impact their technology has in the world, stating, “The experiences of businesses across industries has shown that helping the less fortunate can go hand in hand with developing commercial markets, and that humanitarian entrepreneurship provides new opportunities for those with vision to pursue them.”
