Posts by Kenneth Johnson

When the Look Matters: Design Patents and Other IP Protection for Business

Design makes your product more attractive, helps customers know it's your product, and is an opportunity to express yourself. So how do you protect your design?

New Plant Patent Color Images at SIBL: Through November 19, 2013

PP24029 - Cordyline plant named 'Can Can'Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of November 5, 12 and 19, 2013.

New Plant Patent Color Images at SIBL: Through October 29, 2013

PP23984 - Escallonia plant named 'Lades'Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of October 15, 22 and 29, 2013.

Plant Patent plates for 2012 and 2013 have been listed, with links, in the table posted here.

As before, please be careful in using these—they're really not appropriate to use for prior art or other similar searches. Otherwise, please 

New Plant Patent Color Images at SIBL: Through October 8, 2013

PP23981 - Verbascum plant named 'Blue Lagoon'Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of October 1 and 8, 2013.

Plant Patent plates for 2012 and 2013 have been listed, with links, in the table posted here.

New Plant Patent Color Images at SIBL: Through September 24, 2013

PP23931 - Canna plant named 'Maui Punch'Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of September 17 and 24, 2013.

Thank You for Your Service, by David Finkel

Thank you for your service. That phrase, the dust jacket; everyone can recognize immediately the title of this book is ironic. Or...is it?

Thank You for Your Service, the latest book from author David Finkel, is about the after-war. Everyone knows the wars: Iraq; Afghanistan. And we have all heard at least a little 

New Plant Patent Color Images at SIBL: Through September 10, 2013

PP23883 - Peach tree named 'NJ355'Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of August 20, 27 and September 3 and 10, 2013.

Historical Automobile Catalogs at NYPL: Early Advertising at Work and Play

First they invented the automobile. Then... marketing: How are we going to sell these things?

One marketing tool was the catalog. And that gives a good opening to briefly talk about NYPL's extensive collection of historical automobile catalogs, which can be found at SIBL.

First, let me mention two existing resources on the NYPL website for automobile catalogs:

From the Digital Gallery:

New Plant Patent Color Images at SIBL: Through August 13, 2013

PP23819 - Echinacea plant named 'Red Baron'Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of July 30 and August 6 and 13, 2013.

New Plant Patent Color Images at SIBL: Through July 23, 2013

PP23754 - Calla lily plant named 'Solid Gold BLZ'Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of July 9, 16 and 23 2013.

Plant Patent plates for 2012 and 2013 have been listed, with links, in the table posted here.

As before, please be careful in using these—they're really not appropriate to use for prior art or other similar searches. Otherwise, please enjoy!

New Plant Patent Color Images at SIBL: Through July 2, 2013

PP23699 - Eucomis plant named 'EUW061'Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of June 18, 25, and July 2, 2013.

Plant Patent plates for 2012 and 2013 have been listed, with links, in the table posted here.

As before, please be careful in using these—they're really not appropriate to use for prior art or other similar searches. Otherwise, please enjoy!

Business Books from "The Economist," July 13, 2013

The July 13, 2013 Economist included its quarterly business book reviews. Here is a listing.

For those interested in the articles, you can find them through some of our electronic resources—We recommend our Infotrac Newsstand database, available from home with a library card. Or you can find them on The Economist's website (if you're a subscriber). For those not ready to read those, I've included for each book, based on the articles, a short squib.

Summer 2013 Wall Street Reading Recommendations from the New York Times

Looking for beach reading? New York Times Dealbook columnist (and author) Andrew Ross Sorkin provides his recommendations—"Essential Wall Street Summer Book List"—on the first page of the Business Day section for July 2nd, 2013.

Most of these titles are oldies-but-goodies. Wishing for something newer? Stay tuned for a list of business best-sellers.

Follow the links on his 

A Tale of Two Mikados

Is it only in a topsy-turvy world that the same name may mean different things? If you want to know...

Just how does a railroad locomotive come to be named a Mikado? "The first locomotives of the Mikado type were built by The Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1897, for the Nippon Railway of Japan."

Later models ran on the banks of the old Raritan,

could be found on the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa 

New Plant Patent Color Images at SIBL: Through June 11, 2013

PP23627 - Echinacea plant named 'Secret Joy'Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of May 21 and 28 and June 4 and 11, 2013.

Plant Patent plates for 2012 and 2013 have been listed, with links, in the table posted here.

New Plant Patent Color Images at SIBL: Through May 14, 2013

PP23586 - Coleus plant named 'UF08174'Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of April 23, 30, and May 7 and 14, 2013.

Plant Patent plates for 2012 and 2013 have been listed, with links, in the table posted here.

As before, please be careful in using these—they're really not appropriate to use for prior art or other similar searches. Otherwise, please 

New Plant Patent Color Images at SIBL: Through April 16, 2013

PP23541 - Chrysanthemum plant named 'Symarj Col'Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of April 2, 9, and 16, 2013.

New Business Bestsellers: May 2013

Here is a selection of books new to The New York Times list of Business Best Sellers published in the Business Section print edition Sunday, May 5. Plus, a quick look at the Nielsen BookScan in the May 4 and 11 editions of The Wall Street Journal shows some titles new to this column. Enjoy!

Each title is noted with its ranking. Click on any title below to place a hold on the item. If necessary update your contact information (phone number or e-mail address) so you are notified when the book arrives for you at your local 

Adventures in Marketing Research: IBISWorld - Market Research Reports

I know the danger of first impressions. And of reportage on the basis of superficial knowledge. But when something newsworthy comes along, caution must yield in the moment. So, permit me to introduce you to NYPL's newest marketing research electronic resource: IBISWorld.

Let's start with a (nearly) real-world example from the research desk at SIBL—Where can I find 

Business Books from "The Economist," April 13, 2013

The April 13, 2013 Economist included its quarterly business book reviews. Here is a listing.

For those interested in the articles, you can find them through some of our electronic resources—We recommend our ProQuest Research Library database, available from home with a library card. Or you can find them on The Economist's website (if you're a subscriber). For those who are too impatient to read those, I've included for each book, based on the articles, a short