The Future

As a student studying computer science, I believe that there is a high probability I will work in a company or organization that will itself have a large patent portfolio that I would like to contribute to. Regardless of whether I work in a large company or by myself, I believe that not only will IP be a significant part of where I work, but I hope to be related directly to the patents themselves. With the knowledge I have learned from this class, I know small things like software programs can be enveloped in computers to be patented, when to patent, and how I should patent. In terms of when, I know I want to file immediately as the idea comes to me. In terms of how to patent, I know the three criteria to be wary of when filing a patent. Through Dr. Kasznik’s guest lecture I learned that not patenting an innovative idea could lead to a very large financial and strategic loss and that one’s IP portfolio can simply be enough to keep the company financially afloat or even valuable.

Along with working to create new patents, I have learned that there are "patent-terrorists" out to get everyone. As I hope to join or create a start-up one day, these are so-called terrorists or patent trolls that often target start-ups to gain money from them. Not only have I learned to be cautious when dealing with patent trolls, but also how to fight them through Drew Curtis' Ted Talk. 

I believe the culmination of all the material we learned in class has taught me to not only respect intellectual property, but realize its value and significance in the world today. 

Thank you for a wonderful semester Professor Lavian!

What I learned

For a long time I was under the impression that only very intellectual people or large companies and organizations had the ability to file patents, however through the class and our discussions I learned that I was quite wrong. I found out that not only is it very possible for anyone to file a patent, but what, when, and how one can be filed.

I learned that patents are typically either a method or process for achieving or producing some item or an invention itself. An example of a method was the slide-to-unlock patent, which was a method to unlock a device by sliding to unlock. And an example of patent on an invention was the beer umbrella we discussed in class, which allows one to keep their beer cool. Through the beer example we see that even though the idea seems useless to most people, the patent just has to be portrayed in a manner that explains why it’s useful to others. I learned for a patent to be accepted it must follow three criteria, which state the idea must be novel, non-obvious, and useful. 

One very important fact I learned was that you don’t have to invent or manufacture the item to get the patent approved. Therefore once the idea strikes you, you can begin the steps for filing your patent such as making the claims and drawings. And you should definitely get started as soon as possible because they could take quite some time to get back to you regarding your patent and often times reject it the first time. As Dr. Kasznik discussed in her guest lecture, the patent system has changed from a first to invent to a first to file system, which means you want to be the firs to file!

In the next blog I will discuss why I believe all this is applicable for my future.

Recommendations

I would highly recommend other professors to teach in a similar manner. I understand that some classes require tests and it would be difficult to judge a student's understanding of the material. I still believe that exams can be used to gauge a person’s understanding, however I believe this teaching style will definitely help in reaching a strong, fundamental understanding.

I believe there are many different ways they can do this. I think activities such as group projects where the groups present to each other, similar youtube and blog posts where students comment on each other, a more discussion or open-forum based lecture, or even have students prepare a topic they are interested in and teach it to the class. 

Along with the the current teaching method for the class, I also think certain areas have room for improvement. Although I believe the commenting and feedback on blogs and youtube posts are very valuable, I believe this method could be improved. I feel that after one student comments on another student's ideas the conversation ends and not much insight is gained. I strongly believe that students will be able to learn better if they engage in a full-length discussion, whether it be after class or continued on the posts. The discussion will have students think with each other rather than only in solitude and this thought process would then be expressed in youtube videos and blogposts. 

I think through all these methods the individual person will learn as they complete their assignment, but also gain insight on other students’ perspectives and how they understood the material.

The Teaching Method

I personally greatly appreciated this style of teaching and method for learning through assignments. Almost all of the classes I have taken at Berkeley are based on an individual effort where all the assignments, homework, labs, essays, and exams are judged on an individual basis. And often times I end up just studying and memorizing a lot of information before the exam to forget it a few days after. 

Our lives these days revolve so heavily around social media so why don't all classes take advantage of it? Social media in the classroom comes with a stigma for distraction and deviation from proper learning. I think Professor Lavian has successfully proved that this is not always the case. That in fact, social media can be utilized to aid education and learning. 

The reason I appreciated this learning style was due to the lack of pressure for studying for an exam allowed me to not only focus and learn what I was doing rather than memorize, but gave me the opportunity to learn from and with my peers. Through blogposts I was able to put down my thoughts on paper and after gathering them I was able to verbalize them through the youtube videos. Along with sharing information that I learned, I found the comments and feedback to be the most helpful. The comments helped me understand what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong. I learned that if you don’t understand what was taught in class there are often other students who understand it and may very well be capable of explaining it to others. The teaching style for IEOR 190G gave me the opportunity to learn from my peers. 

Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks, Trade Secrets

One of the main topics Efrat Kasznik discussed in lecture was IP Marketplace Overview. In this main topic, I will be discussing the differences between Trademarks, Copyrights, Patents, and Trade Secrets and the impacts of each.

Patents: Something we should all know from class is essentially a license for a finite pre-determined amount of time that gives someone the sole right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention. For example, if I have the patent for the bicycle and you are producing bicycles without my permission, I can take you to court and stop the continuation of your actions.

Copyrights: The exclusive legal right, given to an originator to publish, print, perform, film, record, and authorize others to do the same. For example, all copies of off-air recordings for a tv show must include the copyright notice on the broadcast program.

Trademark: A symbol, word, or words legally registered or established by use as representing a company or product. This could be the Nike logo.

Trade Secrets: A secret device or technique used by a company in manufacturing its products. An easily understandable example of this would be the Coca-Cola formula, which no one knows.