Inventions typically emerge out of attempts to solve problems. Because people with different life experiences are motivated to solve different problems in different ways, striving to make the patent system more inclusive is eminently worthwhile. Put another way: Female inventors are more likely to patent solutions to problems that specifically or disproportionately affect women. This is not a hunch; it’s the conclusion reached by a team of researchers who studied biomedical patents issued from 1976 to 2010.
Since Director Kathi Vidal began leading the United States Patent & Trademark Office this spring, she has made increasing participation in the innovation ecosystem a key area of focus. Recent