‘Patent Bar Lite’ to Boost Women, Design Protection at PTO (1)

When hair-loss specialist Tiffany Young explained her idea for hair extensions that attach to a headband rather than hair clips, she recalled feeling as though her male patent attorney failed to grasp the novelty of the concept.

Young wanted to patent the idea to help people with conditions like alopecia or cancer so they wouldn’t need a lot of existing hair to anchor the extensions. After receiving an initial rejection from the US Patent and Trademark Office, Young said her attorney gave up on the case.

“I felt like it was because it was a product intended for women, and ...