POSC 340 Service Learning Project (2005)

“Patents and Copyrights for Senior Project Students at CWU”

OVERVIEW: Many students at CWU, especially those students in the Industrial Engineering and Technology Department are required to complete a “Senior Project” as a requirement for graduation (See pp. 143-151 of the CWU Catalogue). Many of the projects they create are unique and are patentable under US law. However, many engineering students are not versed in the economic or procedural aspects of US patent law. As a result, they may end up sacrificing the economic rents due them.

This year’s Service Learning Project is to create a “patent manual” that will be available to all students at CWU. The manual will provide the following:

A. An overview section explaining the history of patents and how they are used to protect intellectual property rights.

B. A procedural section that explains how students can navigate the complex requirements of obtaining a patent at the US Patent Office.

C. A resource section that includes copies/templates of the paperwork necessary to obtain a US patent, and any important Web links for finding such forms.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS: In order for the final product to be useful to students, the following areas of production must be addressed:

A. Researching Patent Law

i. Students will need to conduct a brief scholarly review of patent law in the US, focusing on its purpose, effectiveness, and enforceability.

ii. Students will need to meet with current patent lawyers to garner a “real world” understanding of the patent process.

iii. Students will need to research government websites and agencies relating to patent law and procedure.

B. Finding the Resources and Form

i. Students will need to find copies of all the forms that need to be filled out and filed with the US Patent Office.

ii. Students will need to research the costs of filling the above forms.

C. Drafting the Manual

i. Students will need to compile all the information collected in Sections A and B into a concise and easily understandable manual.

ii. Students will need to produce and bind several copies for distribution to the appropriate department heads.

D. Marketing the Manual

i. The project will not help anyone if the final project ends up in the bottom of a file cabinet in some professor’s office. Students will need to meet with the department heads of the appropriate departments, soliciting their input, feedback and advice on how the manual should be distributed or made available to students who need patent information.

ii. Students should make early contact with the Economic Development Group of Kittitas County (http://www.phoenixgroupedc.org/). This local non-profit helps budding entrepreneurs get started in the community. Their clients may have need of a patent manual.

INSTRUCTOR SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT: In general, it is expected that this project will be conducted outside of regularly scheduled class time. However, I will dedicate one class period to help you organize the project, help you divide into groups, and ensure that you are all contributing to the project. Additionally, I will allocate time in class for you to provide updates to each other and exchange information and ask questions.

TIME LINE FOR THE PROJECT:

Week 1: Introduce the project and assign groups to specific aspects of the project.

Week 3: Initial review: Class time will be provided for each project leader to provide a brief summary of what they have accomplishes so far and to request help if needed.

Week 5: Mid-quarter review: Class time will be provided for each project leader to provide a brief summary of what they have accomplishes so far and to request help if needed.

Week 7: Individual meetings with the instructor. Each group will meet with me (during office hours) to assess their progress and submit rough drafts of their written requirements.

Week 9: Final project due.

Week 10: Dissemination of final project to appropriate stakeholders.

GRADING THE PROJECT: The project is worth 50 points of your final grade. Each student will be assessed individually with respect the amount of work they contributed to the project, the quality of the work they contributed, the timeliness of the work they contributed, and the feedback I receive from the project leaders.