Intellectual Property for
Elementary/Middle School
A Product of Creativity in Bloom
Sal Anastasi and Scott Daniels
2010
“Heavier than air flying machines are
impossible”
Lord Kelvin
Royal Society President 1895
“In the future computers may weigh no more
than 1.5 tons”
Popular Mechanics Magazine, 1949
“I think there is a world market for maybe
five computers”
Thomas Watson, IBM Chairman, 1943
“This telephone has too many shortcoming to
be seriously considered as a means of
communications. This device is inherently of
no value to us.”
Western Union, Internal Memo, 1876
“An amazing invention but who would ever want
to use one?”
Spoken by Rutherford B. Hayes, President of the
United States after making a telephone call from
Washington D.C. to Pennsylvania with Alexander
Graham Bell’s telephone patented on March 7, 1876
“…too different from other juveniles [books] to
warrant its selling.”
1937, Rejection of Dr. Seuss’ book,
And To Think That I Saw It
On Mulberry Street.
Understanding Intellectual Property
Q: What is intellectual property?
A: Intellectual property is a product of the mind
and human intellect.
Q: Why is intellectual property important?
Q: Why is intellectual property important?
A: These products, “ideas” “inventions”
and “creations” have commercial value $$$.
Article I, Section [8] of the U.S. Constitution gives the
power to the Congress “To promote the progress of science
and useful arts, by securing for limited time to authors and
inventors the exclusive rights to their respective writings
and discoveries.”
Q: How can you protect your intellectual
property ?
●Patents
●Trademarks
●Copyrights
●Trade secrets
An Example
• The Slinky
– Is/was it patentable?
– Can it be protected with Trademark?
– Copyright?
– Trade secret?
Q: What is the difference between patents,
trademark, copyright and trade secret?
Q: What is the difference between patents,
trademark, copyright and trade secret?
A PATENT gives an inventor the right to exclusive
use of their invention for a limited
period of time. (20 years)
Q: What is the difference between patents,
trademark, copyright and trade secret?
TRADEMARKS protect the unique name,
design, logo, symbols or colors used by a
business to identify their products or
services.
Q: What is the difference between patents,
trademark, copyright and trade secret?
COPYRIGHT protects creative and artistic
expressions for example, books, drawings,
paintings, computer programs and music.
Why does one invent, or create something
new, or improve on a known product?
● Solve a problem, cure a disease, expand human
knowledge.
● Make a known device better, i.e. Improve it.
● Catch consumers attention.
● Make $.
So...how does one go about inventing?
So...how does one go about inventing?
1) Set a goal, dream, imagine! Do not limit yourself by
existing science, theories or other's beliefs.
2) Write it down! Keep your journal or “inventor's
notebook” with all your goals and ideas.
3) Experiment, develop, modify and construct your
invention.
4) Keep your ideas, inventions and creations
confidential, secret.
Genius is 1 % inspiration and 99 % perspiration.
Thomas Alva Edison