Innovate Design Managing Director Alastair Swanwick was recently invited to the United States Intellectual Property Office in Washington DC.

IMG_1471While in the US, Alastair was also on a research and fact finding mission in New York and then on to the Innovate office in San Francisco, California.

"The trip has enabled us to better help our UK clients, when they are looking to break in to the US market place, with their new and innovative products."

Pictured: Alastair and Barbara discussing the recent changes in the US Intellectual Property system with John Calvert, Senior Advisor, in the office of Innovation Development. The US has now adopted the 'first-inventor-to-file' system, making it more in line with the rest of the world, but retaining the inventor's 12 month 'grace period'.