LISA18

A strong IP portfolio can be a powerful asset to a company. Of course, it provides economic value to the company or inventors. But a well-orchestrated IP portfolio development effort can also stimulate inventiveness and problem-solving, foster a culture of innovation, and enhance the prestige of the company.


This talk will focus on the ways that engineers can help capture IP value for their organizations. Engineers play a crucial role in the development of a robust IP portfolio. Streamlining communication between the legal and engineering teams and the processes for developing and capturing new developments gives the company a valuable advantage in achieving this goal. This talk will discuss strategies on improving these communication lines, and advise engineers on how to take a more active role in the development of the company's IP portfolio.


In addition, the talk will touch on broad strokes of IP law, glaring issues relevant to the computing industry, like what is “patent-eligible subject matter” after the Supreme Court’s Alice decision, and how Oracle v. Google is affecting the ability to copyright software code. We will also address practical applications and consideration of various portfolio development strategies in the day-to-day setting, such as whether a company should pursue an IP program when the company is primarily an open source shop and how that could be accomplished.