United States. Patent and Trademark Office
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
Jackson Hunsicker papers on Memo Mate
Jackson Hunsicker (1948-2017) invented the Memo Mate in the mid-1990s. It was a small personal recording device that could store up to twenty seconds of audio. The Memo Mate was marketed as a handy way to remember appointments, phone numbers, directions, and the location of a car in a large parking lot. The Memo Mate was a successful invention, selling close to 10 million units. Hunsicker's papers on the patenting and marketing of Memo Mate document the typical process and pitfalls of patenting and marketing by a lone inventor. The collection consists of the legal correspondence of the patent application process and subsequent contractual disputes, along with schematics and designs, and possible names and logos. Hunsicker’s invention represents a demonstration of the patent process as well as a contribution from a woman inventor to the field.
Office of Alien Property Custodian records
The office of Alien Property Custodian was created by the Trading with the Enemy Act of October 6, 1917. According to the act, the right to seize enemy property was vested in the president, which was then delegated to the Alien Property Custodian. This collection consists of nine volumes, fifty-eight booklets, and foldouts concerning U.S. patents vested in the Alien Property Custodian (1943-1946). The materials specifically deal with mechanical and electrical patents, as well as chemical patents.