The Value of What I Learned: Part II

In this post, I would like to talk about the other most important value I gained through this course. I learned that anyone could get a patent. At the start of this course, the idea of filing for a patent was so foreign to me that I was actually intimidated by the thought of it. I took the course in hopes that I would be taught some loopholes on how to be successful in getting a patent, but as it turns out it's a lot easier than expected.

In my mind, I used to save the patent space for the geniuses - for the truly creative and original. From a TED Talk by Kirby Ferguson, everything in life is a remix. Nothing is really original. We build off of other ideas, and this is how we are able to see great technologies evolve into even greater creations. Creativity, in a way, is being able to take something and put your own spin on it - to be able to see how to improve it, even if the improvement is minor. 

My dad has several patents under his name, and before this course I thought that would be impossible for me to achieve. After especially seeing all of those ridiculous patents that were approved, I have more trust and faith in my ability to successfully file for a patent if I wished to do so someday. I like to transfer this confidence to other aspects of my life as well - if I thought this, a not so intimidating process in reality, was scary and unattainable, what else in my life am I overthinking? This course has taught me to reevaluate the confidence I have in my own abilities by equipping me with the necessary knowledge to file for a patent.

Thank you so much for a wonderful semester. I hope to stay in touch with the many of you and with our dearest Professor Tal Lavian.

The Value of What I Learned: Part I

Wow, where to begin on this topic? I learned so much that I will have to choose one topic to discuss. I would have to say that one of the greatest and most valuable lessons I learned was the importance of social media presence.

In class, Dr. Tal Lavian always told us:

"You should be the one in control of what your internet presence looks like, not other people."

Hearing this was like getting a wakeup call. While I tend to be very careful about what goes up on my Facebook because of relatives I am connected with, I had never cared to extend m thoughts to other social media platforms. On one hand, it can be regarded negatively to future employers if you are not searchable. Have you not done anything noteworthy? Are you antisocial? But at the same time, you don't want unprofessional pictures and material to slowly be leaking out either. Employers don't care to hire the antisocial one or the party-goer. 

After initial hestitancy towards my presence on Twitter, I learned to grow an appreciation for it. It helped me stay up to date with current events, and I will definitely be keeping my account to help improve my internet presence. I think it's important for future employers to know that there is more depth to you beyond your 2-dimensional application. At a time of graduation and entering the professional world, these become important considerations. 

Collaborative Learning through Social Media: Part II

Collaborative Learning = an educational approach to teaching and learning that involves groups of students working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product

In 1994, Gerlach stated "collaborative learning is based on the idea that learning is a naturally social act in which the participants talk among themselves. It is through the talk that learning occurs."

And it is actually very interesting to think about - how do we study for exams? Do you use study groups? I personally learn the most when I study with others for an exam. It is the process of writing, listening, and verbalizing your thoughts which leads to actually learning. Studies have shown that we learn material more effectively when we are actively engaged and conversing with peers. The exchange provides multiple viewpoints and requires the articulation and defense of ideas.


Twitter

Let's consider Twitter, for example - a micro-blogging platform that is used for:

1. Keeping in touch
2. Online research
3. Live tweeting

This is a good representation of collaborative learning through social media because we used it in class. During a couple of lectures, we used Twitter as a space to talk and enhance classroom discussion by tweeting and retweeting each others' posts regarding the in-class lecture topic. 

Furthermore (and most importantly), a space like Twitter allows for professional networking with industry leaders, social leaders, prospective employers, and alumni. Live tweeting and retweeting allows you to become a leader yourself in your field. And lastly, the hashtag search system allows for efficient online research through an interactive window.

And other universities are trying this out, too! Georgia Southern University and UT Dallas have engaged in similar class activities with Twitter as a study on collaborative learning through social media:

https://makingconnectionsfye1220.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/assignment-48-hours-of-twitter/

http://www.utdallas.edu/~mrankin/usweb/twitterconclusions.htm

The results from UT's experiment were telling. The twitter experiment required students who normally would not participate to engage in dialogue. 

I think it is important as an educator to actively think and rethink of new teaching techniques, and Dr. Lavian truly embraces that in this course.

Collaborative Learning through Social Media: Part I

The semester is coming to an end, and I would like to reflect on the unique learning style Dr. Tal Lavian took in teaching this course a UC Berkeley.

The majority of the universities heavily follow the 'tutor contact' and 'independent study' teaching methods that can be seen in the venn diagram above. More universities and colleges are starting to take on the 'practical' learning application as well, although only a select few of my classes here at Berkeley have fallen under that category. Out of those select few, they have actually been some of my favorite courses. However, IEOR 190G has been the only course to follow the 'social networking' category.

If we observe the diagram above carefully, you can see that Social Networking falls under all 3 core teaching methods: tutor contact, independent study, and practical. What's so great about the Social Networking platform to learning is that it creates a space for the students to collaborate, learn from each other, and offer support to one another. In addition to learning we are able to create a closer community and make friends. Unfortunately, when courses lack collaboration, relationship-building is consequently not encouraged and students will take away much less at the end of the term.

The other great thing that the Social Networking approach to learning offers to students is creativity. We have TIME to think and compose our thoughts and then further develop them. Due to social media's relative informal context, we can express ourselves and our thoughts in our own unique, individual ways.

I enjoyed the social media aspect of this course because it felt far more hands-on than any course I have taken. Assignments involved researching current events in the patent world: I was able to become aware of tech news that I never would have thought of keeping up-to-date with. Because of this class, I realized how easy it is to look up patent-related news! Google has a page under their 'News' section. I've become interested in keeping up with the Economist to stay ahead of market news and changes. Lastly, I have come out of this course with friends and that has been wonderful!

Efrat Kasznik (Extension): IP in Software

I talked a little bit about the graph above in my previous post in regards to the importance of patents in biotech and medical device industries. But why are patents significantly less important in the field of software?

Time. Within the software industry, technology is rapidly changing. This means that software patents hardly live to use the full extent of their life. It may simply not be work paying for a patent when drastic changes are often being made in the industry. In fact, most software VCs see little benefit in filing for a patent.

Copyright. Copyright protection, as you can see in the chart above, is the most common form of protection used within the software industry. Copyright can be a better choice because there is a difference between executable and editable code. Furthermore, copyright protection is more cost effective and takes into effect immediately!

Efrat Kasznik: Why Startups Don't File for Patents

The Berkeley Patent Survey (2010):
"For your last innovation you did not patent, which if any of the following influenced
your company's decision?"

These were the top reasons reported by startups for not filing patents. The two most popular responses were related to the cost of patents.

Although Obama's America Invents Act (AIA) as aimed to help small businesses in the realm of IP, it has actually made it rather difficult for them to file for patents.

• First to File
• Before 2013, patents were granted to the first inventor; however, now the patents are granted to whoever is able to get the patent application to the patent office first. What does this mean for startups? They need to shell out all the cash for patent filing well before they know whether or not the patent idea has a chance of working.
• Patentability of Trade Secrets
• Previously, patents and trade secrets were mutually exclusive. If a company kept a trade secret undisclosed for more than a year, it couldn't be patented. However, under the AIA companies could treat an invention as a tradesecret for years and then patent it later. This is good for big companies, but small companies usually do not have tradesecrets.
• Post-Grant Opposition
• The AIA allows a third party to challenge the validity of a patent within its first 9 months of issue. Small companies, who may be unsure of the validity of their patent early on, will be unable to file broad patents. The elimination of broad patents is good overall, but it makes it very difficult in the patent field for startups.
• Fast Tracking
• Companies can now "fast track" a patent application for a fee to get it processed quicker. The USPTO charges an extra fee of $4,800 or $2,400 for businesses with less than 500 employees for this fast track process. Small startups are unlikely to take part in the fast tracking of patents due to the higher fees, making this an additional benefit to large companies through the AIA.

Efrat Kasznik (Extension): Patent Trends in Startups

The Berkeley Patent Survey (2010):
"For your last innovation you did not patent, which if any of the following influenced
your company's decision?"

These were the top reasons reported by startups for not filing patents. The two most popular responses were related to the cost of patents. In fact, other studies show that startups are becoming increasingly unlikely to file for patents with time. This trend is true for companies who never apply/applied for patents, but it's the exact opposite from companies who have applied for at least one patent. Companies who file for at least one patent are actually more likely to apply for more patents. In fact, they are applying for a greater number and at a fast pace.

The deciding factor for startups in patent application is highly dependent on influence from VC investors. A case of at least 80% of companies backed by large companies such as Samsung Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Development Corp., and Motorola Ventures have filed at least one patent. Healthcare investors, such as De Novo Ventures and Delphi Ventures, are among the highest in patent emphasis with a minimum of 90% of their funded companies having filed at least one patent. However, seed-stage, or "angel", investors round out at the bottom: only about 13% of companies funded by VCs such as 500 Startups, SV Angel, and High-Tech Gruenderfonds have filed patents.