Changemakers.com est en pleine transformation et nous sommes en train de traduire le site. Certaines des fonctionnalités de la nouvelle plateforme ne sont actuellement disponibles qu'en anglais. Soyez patient s'il vous plait, nous mettons à jour le reste du site afin de mieux répondre à vos besoins. Merci!

Patents and Intellectual Property

Posted Jun 3, 2009 2:52pm
Ryan A. Richards

Would anyone be willing to share some of their experiences applying for patents?  Is there a difference between patenting something in the U.S. and abroad?  For those of us who are social innovators seeking to expand access to a new technology as quickly as possible, it can feel counterintuitive to try and patent it.  Yet, there are definatly times when that is the step that makes the most sense.  What intellectual property protection options do we have available to us, and what resources and processes are out there to help don those protections?

‹ How would you use touch-screen technology for good? Highlighting Ashoka Tech ›
  • Vous devez vous identifier ou créer un compte pour écrire des commentaires
  • share

Commentaires

mer, 06/03/2009 - 13:59
paularecart

I think this link might be useful for people interested in patents and IP: it's a handbook about this issue

http://web.mit.edu/invent/h-main.html

IN their own words: "This handbook was created by the Lemelson-MIT Program to address the independent inventor's and aspiring entrepreneur's most frequently asked questions regarding United States patents. We hope that this handbook will provide some helpful information on the patenting and commercialization processes".

mer, 06/03/2009 - 14:16
Ryan A. Richards

Oh Google.  :)

http://www.google.com/patents

jeu, 06/04/2009 - 09:52
Ashoka Advocate...

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP kindly compiled a series of answers to frequently asked questions regarding intellectual property.

Below are some of the questions that the memo answers (check out the answers here).

II. Patents

  • What is a patent?
  • What is the nature of an application for patent?
  • What subjects can be patented?
  • Can any invention be patented?
  • If an invention is useful and different from the prior art, can it be patented?
  • How is the prior art determined? In other words, how can it be found?
  • Can you still obtain a patent if you make your invention public before you file a patent
  • application?
  • Does one patent protect the invention in all countries?
  • What is the effect of a patent?
  • How can the inventor stop the making, using or selling of the patented invention?
  • Should an inventor always try to patent his or her invention?
  • How can the right to use a patented invention be licensed?
  • What happens if I use the ideas disclosed in someone else’s patent without their
  • permission?
  • Can patent rights be lost?

III. Trade Secrets (Also called Confidential Information)

  • What is a trade secret?
  • Can a trade secret be lost if it becomes publicly known?
  • How can a trade secret become publicly known?
  • Can a secret ever be shown to a third party and still remain a secret?
  • Can trade secrets be licensed to others that way?
  • How do I decide whether to seek patent protection or trade secret protection for my
  • invention?

IV. Copyrights

  • What is a copyright?
  • What works are protected by copyright?
  • What is not protected by copyright?
  • What is fair use?
  • How does an individual obtain a copyright?
  • How do I register a copyright?
  • How long does a copyright last?
  • What is a work made for hire?

V. Trademarks

  • What is a trademark?
  • What names can be trademarked?
  • Do I need to register my trademark?
  • How long does a trademark last?
jeu, 06/04/2009 - 10:01
pcastillo

Personally, I'm a fan of creative commons so everyone can use what you make. I once heard Ashoka-Lemelson Fellow Howard Weinstein talk about how he applied these types of patents to the technology he developed with his organization (he does rechargable batteries for hearing aids among other things) see this CNN link to more information on his work.

jeu, 06/04/2009 - 12:54
Tito Llantada

Creative Commons, Nike, and Best Buy are doing something really interesting around patents and collaboration called the "greenxchange": essentially exploring how the digital commons can help holders of patents collaborate for sustainability. For example, can a non-essential, non-competitive patent be shared to another company for the purpose of creative something sustainable? check out more here: http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/12734 

lun, 06/29/2009 - 13:16
Ryan A. Richards

This looks useful: Lemelson MIT Inventor's Handbook

  • Chapter 1: What Is Intellectual Property?
  • Chapter 2: What Can Be Patented?
  • Chapter 3: Is My Idea Patentable?
  • Chapter 4: How Do I Conduct a Patent Search?
  • Chapter 5: Is My Invention Worth Patenting?
  • Chapter 6: How Do I Apply for a Patent?
  • Chapter 7: How Do I Prove the Idea Is Mine?
  • Chapter 8: What Are Some Options to Commercialize My Patent?
  • Chapter 9: How Do I License My Invention?
  • Chapter 10: What Are Some Guidelines in Developing a Business Plan?
  • Chapter 11: How Do I Raise Capital?
  • Resources for Inventors