No holiday escapes the beneficial attention of inventors many of whom have sought to improve our St Patrick’s day.

U.S. Patent No. 962872 on perfume tablets designed to be dissolved in water and to give forth a perfume upon dissolution, and includes an embodiment with a shamrock design “peculiarly appropriate to dinners given on St. Patrick’s Day.”

U.S. Patent No. 5,184,482 dislcloses an ear ornament with an embodiment having a shamrock, perfect for St. Patrick’s Day:

U.S. Patent No. 5,255,825 discloses a device to “dispense green dye into individual glasses or pitchers on Saint Patrick’s Day”:

U.S. Patent No. 5,487,924 discloses napkin rings, with an embodiment perfect for St. Patrick’s Day:

U.S. Patent No. 5,491,617 discloses an Illuminated Fluid Tap, and suggests that the tap be illuminated “green for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.”

U.S. Patent No. 5,543,321 disclosed colored plant culture media, and suggest that the media “sold at St. Patrick’s Day can contain culture medium dyed green.”

U.S. Patent No. 9,863,641, disclosed a heating appliance with light and sound that can be illuminated green for St. Patrick’s Day:

U.S. Patent No. D828774 discloses a Necklace perfect for St. Patrick’s Day:

U.S. Patent No. D828,776 discloses another embodiment of necklace perfect for St. Patrick’s Day:

March 10, 2024, is Oscar night, and it is difficult to think of an event that is more steeped in Intellectual Property. The Oscar statue was copyrighted (Reg. No. G38512):

and renewed (Reg. No. R443432):

.

The Oscar statute is also registered as a trademark (Reg.Nos. 1028635 and 1960182):

Patents, however, are connected to the Oscars in a peculiar way: a number of Oscar nominees and winners appear in patent drawings. For example, 1993 Best Supporting Actress Marisa Tomei appears in Fig. 2B of U.S. Patent No. 8,208,764:

Elizabeth Taylor, who won the Oscar for Best Actress in 1961 and 1967, is in Fig. 2C of U.S. Patent No. 8,208,764:

2018 Best Actor Nominee Timothee Chalamet and 2009 Best Supporting Actor Nominee Josh Brolin appear in Fig. 1 of U.S. Application US 20220277458:

The director of the 1980 Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film The Tin Drum, Volker Schlöndorff, is shown in Fig. 7 of US 20220277458:

1969 Academy Award Best Supporting Actor Nominee Elliott Gould and 1984 Academy Award Best Actress Shirely McClaine are shown in Fig. 8 of US 20220277458:

Of course. today being a Thursday, no U.S. patents will issue today, A patent issuing on February 29 is a relatively rare thing. In fact, in the history of the U.S. Patent Office, only about 6787 patents have issued on February 29. Leap patents issued in 1820, 1848, 1876, 1916, 1944, 1972, and 2000. The last utility patent to issue on February 29 was U.S. Patent No. 6,032,181:

The last design patent to issue on February 29 was U.S. Patent No. D421277

There won’t be another February 29 U.S. patent until February 29, 2028.

In the good old days, George Washington’s birthday was holiday, making February a great month for school kids, because Abraham Lincoln’s birthday was also a holiday. Two days off in the bleakest month, coupled with cupcakes on Valentine’s Day, and it was a great month to be in grade school. In addition to being celebrated by generations of school children, Inventors have celebrated George Washington many times, including in these ten patents:

U.S. Patent No. D8377 protects a Medal honoring George Washington:

U.S. Patent No. D9138 also features George Washington:

U.S. Patent No. D9161 on a badge featuring George Washington:

U.S. Patent No. D9247 is on a hatchet centennial charm that features George Washington:

U.S. Patent No. D9310 on a fan design features both George and Marth Washington and their Mount Vernon estate:

U.S. Patent No. D9310 protects a statue of George Washington:

U.S. Patent No. D17839 protects a badge featuring Geroge Washington:

U.S. Patent No. D21,357 protects a spoon decorated with an image of George Washington.

U.S. Patent No. D21688 protects a badge featuring George Washington:

U.S. Patent No. D21835 on a spoon featuring George Washington:

Happy 292nd Birthday, George, and thanks for the days off!

Presidents have had a lot to do with patents over the years. Presidents used to sign the patents, and George Washington signed the first patent issued by the U.S. Government on July 31, 1790:

Of course every patent nerd knows that Abraham Lincoln on May 22, 1849, Abraham Lincoln received Patent No. 6469 for a device to lift boats over shoals. He is the only president to have received a patent.

However, a number of presidents have been the subject of patents:

U.S Patent No. D41046, issued July 17, 1917, honors presidents Washington, Lincoln, and Wilson:

President Washington got another shout out a few years early, in U.S. Patent No. 537,666, which issued on April 16, 1895, on a toy bank featuring the future President and a cherry tree:

The presidents from Washington to Grant were featured in U.S. Patent No. D9138, which issued March 14, 1875, on a fan:

The presidents from Washington to Grant also shared the spotlight in U.S. Patent No. D8000 issued January 12, 1875:

On August 3, 1915, U.S. Patent No. 1148885 made the Presidents part of a patented puzzle:

The first 31 presidents made were celebrated in U.S. Patent No. 2,284,256 on a Card Game, issued May 26, 1942:

There are of course many other patents that mention one or more presidents, but those are for a future Presidents Day post.

U.S. Patent No. 1,353,709 discloses a token “which may be presented as an expression of friendship or admiration.”

•U.S. Patent No. 2,726,397discloses an apron with interchangeable appliques, explaining “often such persons as housewives and hostesses desire to decorate articles of clothing, curtains, coverings and so forth with figures and designs of various shape and color.” Reportedly this was even more popular than the Valentine-themed vacuum cleaner.

U.S. Patent No. 3,016,178 discloses a box construction, such as Valentines Day boxes, which are intended to contain candy or other comestibles or flowers. This is one of many patents on heart-shaped boxes.

U.S. Patent No. 6,172,328 discloses methods for etching, cutting and/or altering, the surface of a flower, plant, cut foliage, allowing one to inscribe a Valentine’s Day greeting on the flowers themselves.

U.S. Patent No. 6,053,399 “relates to mailers and envelopes and, more particularly, to envelops and mailers for sending small sachets and photographs.”

U.S. Patent No. 5,160,087 discloses a drinking straw, designed to demonstrate the need for teamwork.

U.S. Patent No. 4993184 discloses a “heart-shaped, free standing, living plant comprises at least two living plants, a left plant and a right plant, formed into opposed lobes forming the heart configuration.”

Last, but not least, U.S. Patent No. 5727565, discloses a heart shaped “kissing shield comprised of a thin, flexible membrane and a frame or holder” to ensure that your Valentine’s Day is both safe and happy!

More examples of how the patent system improves everything — including Mardi Gras. U.S. Patent No. D645226 protects an Edible Cookie Mask, and get that last snack in before Lent begins:

U.S. Patent No. D629177 also provides a Mardi Gras mask, but without the snack:

U.S. Patent No. PP21407 provides an Aeonium Plant named “Mardi Gras” (and a cool word with all of the vowels):

U.S. Patent No. D611117 provides a Mardi Gras Doubloon Fishing Lure, to get a jump on meatless Fridays:

U.S. Patent No. PP15203 provides an Abelia Plant named “Mardi Gras”:

U.S. Patent No. D375658 provides a serving basket in the form of a Mardi Gras parade float:

U.S. Patent No. 8672169 provides a decorated cup for your Mardi Gras libations:

There are approximately 638 issued patents that mention Santa Clas, more that a hundred or so that actually show him. His first appearance was in U.S. Patent No. 276,586 in 1883:

Since then, his appearance has changed over the years, as the following collection shows:

Santa Claus, whatever he looks like, is about to come to town a gain. Happy holidays!

While he may not live up to modern standards, Chrisopher Columbus’ voyages to the New World were, for the time, heroic and skillful, navigating the barely sixty foot Santa Maria wil a crew of 42 on a thirty-five day journey across the Atlantic Ocean. His achievements were celebrated and memorialized, including on Owen Gray’s Educational Globe. the subject of U.S. Patent No. 418455 issued December 31, 1889, which showed two of Columbus’ four voyages in dashed lines on the globe:

as the patent explained:

J.W. Meese patented (U.S. Patent No. D21533) this statue of Columbus in 1892:

There are numerous other Columbus statues, medals, plaques, spoons, and canes, celebrating his bravery.