Patent Reform Act Before Congress

The proposed Patent Reform Act of 2007 has passed out of committees and will be considered soon in the Congress. The bill has been tweaked in various ways since its first introduction in 1997. While one of the purposes is harmonization with patent law in other countries (e.g., changing patent protection from first-to-invent to first-to-file), there is concern that it restricts the rights of the small inventors and makes it more difficult for them to defend their intellectual property.

Read more about it on the section website at www.ieee.org/go/easttn.

Greenville Engineering Job Market Booming

Greenville News published a story on the local engineering market on July 27, 2007. If you or someone you know needs an engineering job, these companies are hiring a broad range of engineers. Plus there are other Greenville based engineering design companies that are also hiring. You can read the article at http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007707270317.

Discovery Channel Series Seeks Help

A UK based documentary production company is producing 13 one hour shows for the Discovery Channel US, tentatively titled 'Crash Test Inventors'. The series is all about taking existing and new technologies and using them to engineer solutions to issues of safety in a variety of situations and events. During the show we will take a concept such as an airbag, investigate the possibilities, design a re-application for another use and perform a large scale test of the invention. This could involve attaching a large airbag to a helicopter to keep it afloat in the event of a crash into water. The items will range right down to smaller scale tests such as far as how to make hard hats stronger using advanced materials and cover both man made and natural hazards.

The idea is to demonstrate innovative solutions to dangers that pose a risk to people in their everyday lives. We won't be looking for a final polished product but to demonstrate the reapplication, engineering, construction of the invention and an interesting and visual way to test it. This could mean anything from dropping a helicopter into a canyon to smashing our hard hat with rocks.

As these shows hinge upon clever engineering we are hoping that engineers and scientists might be willing to share their ideas and inspirations with us as potential storey ideas. We are covering a huge spectrum within the remit so however big or small scale or 'out there' the ideas might seem, we would be hugely grateful for any submissions. The tests will be carried out at the series base wherever possible and expert test facilities across the States.

We would ultimately be looking for a consultant to come on for each storey to provide expertise in that particular field and assist our hosts with the construction and testing. This might therefore provide the opportunity for an engineer to join our team in building and testing the invention and offer expertise in their particular field.

All responses can come to me at the email address below. Alternatively please feel free to contact me using the details below.

Jez Bradshaw
'Crash Test Inventors'
Darlow Smithson Productions
Highgate Studios
53-79 Highgate Road
London, NW5 1TL
jez.bradshaw@darlowsmithson.com

Phone: 020 7482 7027
Fax: 020 7482 7039