Craig Paulsen

1350 Monte Vista Drive

Reno, NV 89511
775-742-1419
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/craig-paulsen/3/48b/80
PATENT ANALYST/MANAGER
Identifying, protecting and creating valuable company innovations
Experienced patent manager with more than 30 years of success combining product
development and intellectual property strategy for profit and market expansion.
Talented in identifying patent opportunities through exhaustive competitive inte
lligence, trend analysis, and cross-industry synergies. Skilled in qualifying ma
rketable products and working with legal counsel to file successful patent appli
cations in the US and around the world. Accepted to and currently studying for t
he US Patent and Trademark Office registration examination leading to Patent Age
nt status.
Global Patent Holder-
Inventor on 402 US and foreign patent cases with 38 issued US patents and numero
us issued foreign patents
Trademark Holder-
Three US trademarks (self-prosecuted)
International Product Development-
North America, Latin America, Asia, Europe, Australia, South Africa
Advisory Board Member-
University of Nevada Reno Mechanical Engineering Department
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
INTERNATIONAL GAME TECHNOLOGY Reno, NV 1981?2009
$2.2B leading global manufacturer of electronic gaming equipment and network sys
tems; 4,800 employees
Intellectual Property Staff Analyst
Intellectual Property Manager
Patent Manager 2003?2009
Pioneering 28-year career driving gaming product development, promoting an innov
ative culture, and leading the company?s intellectual property strategy. Co-laun
ched and led company?s first Intellectual Property Management Department to guid
e domestic and international IP development, engineering, and strategy of a 4,60
0-strong, $400M public patent portfolio. Managed eight-member team of analyst, d
atabase, and administrative personnel.
Intellectual Property Strategy-
Provided clarity of vision and maximized corporate asset value (monetization) th
rough IP business strategy developed in partnership with senior staff and outsid
e legal counsel. Championed IP strategy in all business divisions. Intimate know
ledge of the patent prosecution process, IP licensing and patent litigation issu
es.
Competitive Intelligence-
Guided innovation efforts by conducting rigorous and comprehensive competitive i
ntelligence, market analysis, and long-term patent landscape/technology studies
that identified potential research and licensing opportunities and revealed wher
e competitors were focusing their efforts.
Business Acumen-
Achieved recognition as true strategic partner and trusted advisor to executive
team and key business clients for consistent insightful information needed to fo
rge sound business decisions.
Contributions-
Delivered exceptional patenting performance for company, resulting in 369 IGT wo
rld-wide patent applications that have presently yielded 61 US and foreign issue
d patents.
IP Protection-
Safeguarded company IP by evaluating invention disclosures for patentability, an
d working with outside counsel to prepare, file, and prosecute national and inte
rnational patent applications.
Analytical Tools-
Initiated creation of department database, mining tools, mapping, searching, ana
lysis methods, and valuation of competitor IP to steer business strategy and mai
ntain competitive advantage.
INTERNATIONAL GAME TECHNOLOGY Reno, NV
Hardware Engineering Manager
Project Engineer
Mechanical Engineer 1981?2003
Drove exceptional product development and revenue success by directing engineers
, designers, drafters, and coordinators on electronic gaming equipment and netwo
rk system projects. Collaborated with cross-functional team members from Interna
tional subsidiaries, Marketing, Production, Planning, Purchasing, and internal s
ervice organizations to strengthen the innovative process. Conducted product dev
elopment worldwide, working in Australia, Japan, England, and the Netherlands.
Product Development-
Achieved many worldwide industry firsts: Flat Top Bar machine; Slant Top machine
; all-plastic coin hopper and escalator hopper; Progressive 21 table game; NexGe
n interactive touch screen player tracking display. Also designed and developed
the second-generation dual-screen Keno machine, Upright Arcade lottery machine;
Totem Pole Slant Top machine.
International Expansion-
Planned and launched new mechanical engineering department that spearheaded inte
rnational product development. Created department structure and budget, and hire
d staff.
Project Success-
Led high-performance project teams who consistently produced timely deliveries o
f high quality, industry-leading gaming machine solutions.
EARLY CAREER
Mechanical Engineer ?FILPER CORPORATION (produce processing/cannery equipment) R
eno, NV
Designer/Draftsman ? HY-MATIC CORPORATION (underground mining equipment) Sparks,
NV
Machinist ? CYLINDER HEAD SERVICE (automotive machining) Reno, NV
PERSONAL PROFILE
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA ? Reno, NV
B.S. in Industrial Mechanics
A.S. in Engineering Design Technology, Mechanical
TRUCKEE MEADOWS COMMUNITY COLLEGE ? Reno, NV
A.S. in Business, Mid-Management
MBA Program Courses: Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs, UNIVERSITY OF NEVA
DA
AFFILIATIONS
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Licensing Executives Society (LES)
Nevada Inventors Association
Patent Information Users Group (PIUG)
Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP)
COMMUNITY SERVICE
2009 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair volunteer
Junior Achievement teacher/volunteer
Special Olympics volunteer
County Airport Noise Advisory Board member
INTERESTS
Design, build, and race NASCAR-type stock cars (multiple track champion), produc
t development (including IP) of racing-related products, and restoration of clas
sic cars.