New Issue Briefing Paper Series Introduced
Explore cutting-edge building industry topics in NAHB’s new issue briefing paper series. The bi-monthly One Minute Report will cover subjects like visitability, paying for growth, moratoria, green building and more.

Each paper is devoted to exploring a single issue. After the issue’s importance to builders is explained, the papers discuss arguments and counterarguments and the topic’s future relevance. A resources section guides readers to additional materials and NAHB staff experts.

The first paper in this members-only series is titled “Patents and the Building Industry,” and a summary appears below. You can view the full copy or subscribe to the series by sending an e-mail to Laura Dooley.

Patents and the Building Industry: What Every Builder Should Know

The U.S. Patent Office admits it lacks expertise in building issues; as a result, commonly used designs and configurations have received patents. Although once completely secretive, the patent-granting process has opened up slightly to allow applications to be reviewed online. NAHB has and will continue to share prior art materials with the U.S. Patent Office and monitor patent applications to ensure that projects that receive patents are truly unique.
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