Sen. Coons honored with ‘Champion of the Inventor Award’

In honor of Thomas Edison’s birthday, Thursday is National Inventors’ Day, as designated by President Ronald Reagan.
To celebrate, the Innovation Alliance is recognizing U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) with the Champion of the Inventor Award on Wednesday afternoon.
Coons is getting the award for his support of the patent system and inventors.
Bill Merritt, the president and CEO of Wilmington-based InterDigital, will present the award.
“America’s patent system has long been the bedrock of our country’s ability to innovate and grow our economy,” Coons said in a release. “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in the Senate from raising serious concerns about overbroad patent reform to passing bipartisan legislation out of committee to help American businesses protect the trade secrets that drive their growth.”
Unrelated to the award, he will also receive some patent models from the Hagley Museum’s newly-expanded collection to display in his office.