Toy manufacturers and toy inventors use both utility and design patents, along with trademarks and copyrights. In fact, many toys especially video games take advantage of all three types of intellectual property protection. Visit our collection of famous toy patents and photos. Image: Federal Art Project

Want to know what to give an inquiring mind for Christmas or any other special occasion? How about a book about gadgets or inventing, or books on the popular topics of television history, history of cars, biographies of Bill Gates. Need a gift idea for a kid inventor? What about a science fair kit? Image Courtesy: African American Inventors - Publishers John Wiley & Sons Inc

Well, if you live where I do you are. And that makes me think of all the inventions that have to do with ice. We don't know who invented the first ice skates, however, the largest outdoor ice skating rink is the Fujikyu Highland Promenade Rink in Japan. This rink was built in 1967 and boasts an ice area of 165,750 square feet or 3.8 acres. Did you know that the first artificial ice rink (mechanically-refrigerated) was built in 1876, in London, England? The rink was named the Glaciarium. The rules of modern ice hockey were written by Canadian J G A Creighton in 1875. Ice hockey rinks are cleaned by a Zamboni and I have always wanted to ride a Zamboni. The Zamboni is the namesake of its inventor Frank Zamboni. Zamboni ® Trademark Used with permission of Frank J. Zamboni & Co. Inc. 1998

For anyone who watches TV, it's hard to miss those commercial pitches to "call now" for a "special offer" on the latest "amazing" products. Ever wonder whether your invention has what it takes to be pitched in primetime (or in the middle of the night, on basic cable)?

Recently, a group of individual investors got the chance to pitch their products at the New Product Showcase at the Electronic Retailing Association's annual convention in Las Vegas. The ERA, a trade group for direct-to-consumer marketers (those known for products like The Snuggie, Oxiclean, and the Topsy Turvy tomato planter), partnered with inventor-service company InventHelp to organize a showcase of new inventions, allowing individual inventors to exhibit their products and while networking with other attendees.

Within the showcase, a panel of ERA members, including representatives from QVC and Guthy-Renker, searched for "The Top 6 Pitchable" products of the year. Participating inventors got their two minutes in the spotlight, explaining why their product is the next big necessity. Some inventors even got a shot in front of the cameras, shilling to a crew from the TV show, Pitchmen. The show's creators from the Discovery Channel are not only looking for interesting inventors, but also for a new pitchman or pitchwoman to replace the former host, Billy Mays.

InventHelp is planning a similar showcase at the next ERA convention. So start thinking: What would you sell on TV?