Patent Award Ideas: Plaques, Cubes and Films Compared

There is no single best patent award. Plaques and cubes are durable and look good on a desk or wall. Framed prints suit a home. Inventor walls celebrate the group. Films are the only format that explains what the invention does and can be shared with people outside the building. Many programs combine a physical award with a film, linked by a QR code. Here is how they compare.

The options

Plaques

The classic award: a wood or metal plaque with the patent's front page, number, title, the inventor's name and often the main drawing.

• Good at: permanence, formality and the patent wall. A plaque says "this is official" in a way few other things do.
• Limits: it doesn't explain the invention. Most people who see it read the title and move on. Plaques are also bulky to ship to remote inventors.
• Tips: reproduce the main drawing, not just the text. Engrave every co-inventor's name, and order one per inventor.

Cubes and acrylic blocks

Desk-sized acrylic blocks with the patent's front page or drawing embedded or printed inside.

• Good at: collecting. Inventors with many patents line them up, and the row itself becomes recognition. Cubes are small, consistent and easy to ship.
• Limits: small type and drawings are hard to read, and like plaques they don't explain anything.
• Tips: keep one design for every patent so collections look deliberate, and make sure the patent number is legible.

Framed prints and patent art

A framed print of a patent drawing, sometimes restyled as artwork.

• Good at: going home. Families are more likely to hang a good-looking drawing than a corporate plaque.
• Limits: less formal, and decorative restyling can drift from the actual drawing.
• Tips: use the real figure from the patent and include the number and grant date in the margin.

Inventor walls and digital galleries

A lobby wall, intranet page or screen that shows recent grants with inventor names and photos.

• Good at: showing the whole community of inventors to employees and visitors.
• Limits: it is the company's display, not the inventor's keepsake. Remote staff may never see it.
• Tips: ask before using photos, and keep it current; a wall that stops in 2019 sends the wrong message.

Patent films

A short film that explains the invention, made from the patent's real drawings and claims, with the inventor's name on screen.

• Good at: explaining. It is the only award that shows a non-engineer what the invention does. It travels: a private link reaches parents, partners and former colleagues anywhere.
• Limits: it isn't something to hang on the wall on its own, and quality varies. A film that misstates the invention is worse than none, so look for review against the patent and a chance to approve the script.
• Tips: pair it with a physical award through a QR code, and keep the inventor's name and drawing central.

Side by side

Prices vary widely by size, materials, volume and vendor, so compare quotes for your expected yearly volume rather than one-off prices.

Questions to answer before you choose

1. How many awards a year? Count grants times named inventors, not just grants; patents often name several inventors.
2. How quickly can you deliver? Patents issue on Tuesdays. Recognition that arrives within a couple of weeks feels personal; three months later it feels administrative.
3. Where do your inventors work? Remote and international teams favor formats that ship cheaply or are digital.
4. Who sees it? A plaque speaks to the office. A film or framed print speaks to family. The best programs do both.
5. Is it accurate? Check the number, title, names and drawing on every award before it goes out. Spelling an inventor's name wrong undoes the gesture.
6. Does it honor older patents? A one-time catch-up for long-serving inventors is often the most appreciated part of a new program.

Combining formats

A common pattern is a physical award at grant plus a film. Put a QR code on the plaque or cube that opens the film, so visitors who see the award can watch what it is for, and the inventor can send the same link home. For a broader look at recognition beyond awards, see our inventor recognition program ideas, and for the individual-inventor view, patent plaque vs. patent video.

See a film of one of your patents

Before you choose, watch one. Enter a patent your team was granted on the free trailer page and see its real drawing come to life in about ten seconds. Companies can request a pilot of the Inventor Recognition Program.

Sources

• USPTO, Terms of use for USPTO websites (copyright in patent text and drawings): https://www.uspto.gov/terms-use-uspto-websites
• 37 CFR 1.71 and 1.84 (Cornell LII): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/37/1.71 and https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/37/1.84
• USPTO, Official Gazette for Patents: https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/official-gazette/official-gazette-patents