It is almost difficult to believe that 19 years ago today IPWatchdog.com first launched. At the time I was living in Orlando, Florida, and had recently embarked upon what I had hoped would become a career as a full-time law school professor. Things didn’t quite go according to plan, and I became an itinerant full-time law professor for about six years, traveling from school to school. During this time I started teaching the PLI Patent Bar Review course in 2001 (a course I still teach today) and I met the woman of my dreams, who is now my wife and IPWatchdog business partner — Renee. I’ve gone from having my own patent law practice, to being a partner at a firm, to not taking new clients. All through this magnificent journey one thing has remained constant, and that is IPWatchdog.com.

I want to thank all those who have been readers, visitors, guest contributors and sponsors over the years.

Over the years we have had tens of millions of unique visitors. The ABA has recognized us as the top IP Blog on three occasions, retiring us from the category and inducting us into the ABA Blawg Hall of Fame in 2014. It has been extremely gratifying to receive these honors and to have had so many find IPWatchdog.com useful for one reason or another.

Times certainly change, and IPWatchdog.com has grown over the years, changing both in look and feel and in substance. For the 19 years we have provided information to individuals to help them better understand patents, copyrights and trademarks. In the early days we did a weekly newsletter that profiled every intellectual property opinion, including some non-reported cases when it wasn’t so easy to find them. As blogging platforms became popular the weekly newsletter gave way to periodic articles that would be published several times a week, and that grew to daily articles, and then to several articles a day including weekends.

There will no doubt be changes in the future. In fact, we anticipate big new things for IPWatchdog in 2019, which is when we will celebrate our 20th anniversary. With whatever changes happen, whether substantive or to the look and feel, IPWatchdog.com will continue to grow and evolve with the industry and the times. We are just getting started!

Again, thank you to everyone for joining Renee and I on this journey! Without the support of readers, the hundreds of guest contributors and our sponsors, none of what we do would be possible.