Reflection on tp6004 intellectual property, technology evaluation and commercialization course

This course is mainly the extension of IPR law and TP6001. It combines the theoretical knowledge we have learned in the first half of TP6004 and practical cases studies, and through the analysis of actual cases, better understand the practical application of IPR law. During the first two lectures, let us first recall the knowledge we learned in the first half of the course, let us have a holistic concept of IP law. Then, we analyzed some examples of IPs, for instance, through iPhone and Rubik’s Cube’s cases we have a deeper understanding of five core areas of IP Law, which is trademark, copyright, patent, trade secret and design. At the meanwhile, better distinguish between these five aspects. Moreover, this is the first time I have heard about blockchain, through the course I understood that the most obvious application of blockchain is as intellectual property registration, cataloguing and storage of original work.

In the following two classes, we focus on the SCOPE framework of IP management. It stands for IP creation, ownership, protection and exploitation strategy. Intellectual property is a term used to describe intangible assets: the result of valuable and original human efforts, such as design, publications, inventions, computer software and music. These assets increasingly account for a large percentage of the company’s net assets. Protecting and managing these assets has become an urgent need for the business, the need to develop a series of practice include intellectual property management (IPM) areas. Future returns depend largely on the unique attributes of the company’s intellectual property as well as any related expenses for internal and external conditions continued awareness and monitoring. While it may be more obvious to review past wisdom about specific investments in intellectual property assets, it is possible to identify and manage the risks and expectations created by intellectual property assets in all aspects of the process. We also combined the four strategies of intellectual property management with our business plan in TP6001. During the last two classes, Through the study of IPCF & NTC Entrepreneurship Case Studies, we have comprehensively applied knowledge of intellectual property management and learned how to search for patents and how to discover valuable information hidden in patents of patent mapping. It is worth mentioning that in the second half of our study, the professor will help us better understand how to apply the knowledge we have learned through video cases.

Stage 2, Feelings: What were you thinking and feeling?

Before Dr Yeap’s course, I think that intellectual property law is very theoretical and does not have much practical awareness. This class is just a matter of books for me. I am more concerned about how to complete my homework and exams better. Some of the cases that the teacher has taught in class are not fully understood. This makes me think that this class is a bit boring, and I can’t concentrate very much on class. In the previous class, I also felt that other students in the class were not very interested in this class. The enthusiasm for class was not very high. The class participation was very low, so the interaction with the teacher was very small. There are no group activities in class, but I like teamwork and study together. Because different people have different opinions, different collisions of thoughts make me more willing to think. However, the second half of the study gave me a big surprise. First of all, in the first class, the teacher explained that we have a lot of group activities in each lesson. We need to think more together. For me, this is a Inspiring good news, this arrangement has ignited some interest in continuing to study this course. In the subsequent study, the use of video case teaching is very attractive to me, allowing me to concentrate on learning, to understand the teacher’s ideas faster and better. Anyone who cares about the brain and how it works knows that your emotional state directly affects how you apply your academic skills. If you feel uneasy, it will reduce your learning memory. You cannot listen to what the teacher is saying. You can’t learn. At this stage of study, I am more willing to take the initiative to find some relevant materials and cases to better understand what I have learned. Let me change from passive learning to active learning. The group activities also prompted me to seriously think about the practical significance of intellectual property law from different aspects. The teacher will affirm the ideas of each of us in class, and he will discuss the inconsistencies with us in a very comfortable way. This makes me feel that class learning is a very enjoyable thing.

Stage 3 and 4, Evaluation & Analysis: What was good and bad about the experience (lectures & group activities)?

The ideal result of a speech is that people learn, not that they are entertained. Effective lectures are more about skills than glamour, although there are some tips to help make your lectures more enjoyable for the audience (Faculty). The main feature of an excellent lecturer is to present the materials in a clear and reasonable order, making the materials easy to understand and meaningful, fully covering the subject and illustrating the practical application of the proposed theory. Dr Yeap can just do the things that need attention. Therefore, a good lecturer can bring the best class experience to the audience. Many teachers like to let their students work together during the class in the group. One great function of group work is to make students to learn from each other and build a sense of community in the classroom. It is also a good chance for the shy students to open their mind, get involved and learn their communication skills in a relative smaller learning environment. For our group, we are very complementary members. Surya, who come from India, is a little bit shy, but she always has some very unique ideas. The group activities allow us to communicate better, make her more relaxed and more willing to express herself, as a consequence, make us become a better friend. The teacher arranges some tasks during class and then asks to complete them within the prescribed time. It is undeniable that the advantage of doing this is that we will not waste time and concentrate more. But on the other hand, doing so can create a feeling of anxiety. It will make us worry that we can’t complete the task assigned by the teacher within the prescribed time. Anxious people are actually ready to react by attacking stressors or escaping stress. Upon entering the new social situations, to take the test or visit a dentist, feel the anxiety is not uncommon. If we become so anxious that it stop us from doing these things, then we can cause anxiety to avoid, and we are at a distinct disadvantage. So this slight anxiety may lead us to not want to complete the task, and to the extreme is not to participate in group activities. However, the teacher asked each team member to write his or her own name when submitting the answer, in order to ensure classroom participation, and this problem has been avoided to some extent.

Stage 5, Conclusion: What else could you have done (future) in the participation of the group activities?

Coordination costs represent teamwork consumption of time and energy, not individual work, including the coordination of schedules, schedule meetings, meetings, correspondence, collective decision-making, integration time contribution of team members. The time spent on these tasks are important (Carnegie Mellon University). I think efforts to coordinate multiple team members is an important skill. In future group activities, I can make some contributions in helping to reduce coordination costs, for example, because the more people in the group, the more timetables you need to accommodate, the more delegated, the opinions to be considered, the parts to be integrated, and so on. Therefore, smaller groups have lower coordination costs. I will help keep the size of the team and help the team assign the responsibilities and tasks of each member.

Stage 6, Action Plan: How can you incorporate what you have learn to your future business?

I want to open my own coffee shop after graduation. I want to design the interior of the store and make my own unique coffee cup. I hope that all the paintings can be done by myself. I want to promote my coffee shop by making an attractive website.

In this process, patent and copyright issues will be involved. Through this course, I will have greater confidence in doing my own business in the future. Why is copyright important to me? Because if you run a business executive commission, license or use of copyrighted material (whether it is art, advertising material, copy, music or movies), copyright law will affect the creative works that you can use, how to license copyrighted materials, maybe even in which markets you can operate (Ministry of Law). Because using the imagine without the permission of the copyright owner constitutes copyright infringement, I can use the image on my website with the permission of the owner to avoid copyright infringement. If I want to use an image that belongs to someone else, I need the consent of the copyright owner. There are two main ways to get permission from the copyright holder: Contact the copyright owner directly and get consent or a fee-based association of an organization (usually a non-profit organization) can agree to use the work of its members under certain conditions. Then I want to ask when do I need a copyright license? When I do certain things that the copyright owner has the exclusive rights. For instance, copy paper or provide musical forms of entertainment for my coffee shop. I must contact each copyright owner to obtain copyright permission. Also, patent have three types: design, utility and plant. For my business, the most useful concept is about design patent. The design patent protects the visual aesthetic or appearance of the present invention. The design patent is not functional and has the original design of the decorative product. The design patent expires 15 years after the date of grant of the patent. In the process of decoration, I must pay attention not to infringe on the patents of others, but also to apply for protection of my own patents. These knowledge gives me a clearer idea of the future planning.