• Print

Inventions and Patents

Readings

Downloadable Textbook

The complete course textbook for 6.901/6.931, Create or Perish, by Dr. Robert Rines, is provided below. This version of the text originally appeared as part of course 6.931 Development of Inventions and Creative Ideas, Spring 2008.

Create or Perish as one file (PDF - 3.2 MB)

CHAPTERS

TOPICS

 

Cover and introduction (PDF)

1

The origin and development of the American patent system (PDF)

2

The role of the patent office and the courts (PDF)

3

The patent law (PDF)

4

Patents in action (history of the basic telephone patent) (PDF)

5

The rights, obligations, and problems of inventors (employee-employer relations) (PDF)

6

The future of American patents (PDF)

7

The modernization of patent systems (PDF)

8

Court modernization for aiding the patent system and the law, in general (PDF)

9

A formula for economic decline (PDF)

 

Index (PDF)

 

Assignments

The assignments below are for 6.901, the undergraduate version of the course. Some of the assignments refer to the course textbook, Create or Perish, by Dr. Robert Rines, which is available in its entirety in the readingssection.

Problem Set 1

Read Chapters 1 and 2 of Create or Perish.

Problem Set 2

  • Read Chapter 3 ofCreate or Perishand be prepared to discuss the readings.
  • Use the readings, Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution, and your own assessment to determine whatexclusive rightsmeans or should mean?
    Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution: To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.
  • Read the following documents for discussion at our next class and to give you ideas for final projects:

Problem Set 3

  1. oShulman, Seth. "When Patenting Works."The Technology Review(July/August 2002).
  2. oGlobal School District Patent
  • Use the readings and your own assessment to determine the intellectual property regarding software.
  1. oIs software an invention?
  2. oShould it be copyrighted?
  3. oShould it be patentable?
  4. oIf not, where should it be classified?
  5. oWhat are the advantages and drawbacks to each type of protection?
  6. oMake a convincing argument detailing the reasons for your decision.

 

Problem Set 4

  • Read Chapter 4 ofCreate or Perishand read the entire document on a New Patent System: Rines, Robert. "America's Different Patent System: The Reason The U.S. Outperforms The World, A Report To The 107thCongress." May 9, 2002. (PDF)
  • Recently there has been increased discussion over the rights surrounding copyrights. Use the readings and your own assessment to determine what copyrights confer or should confer upon their holders.
  • Think about questions such as:
  1. oWhy copyrights are relevant versus patents?
  2. oWhat should be the lifetime of a copyright?
  3. oShould different works receive different years of protection?

Problem Set 5

  • Make sure you have read chapters 1-4 ofCreate or Perishand read the entire document on a New Patent System: Rines, Robert. "America's Different Patent System: The Reason The U.S. Outperforms The World, A Report To The 107thCongress." May 9, 2002. (PDF)
  • This week's discussion relates to patenting emerging areas of science. Discuss the following topics:
  1. oShould the U.S. allow patents for genetically modified animals and/or living organisms?
  2. oShould the U.S. Supreme Court rethink its "anything under the sun" policy regarding patentability?
  3. oWhy? Is it to promote innovation? Or will people still take the risk to develop these new technologies even without the protections afforded by the patent system.
  • Extra Credit: Come to class with a list of four items which you think every United States citizen should be compelled to abide by in order to retain citizenship. (If you believe that there are four items.)
  • Writing a Claim: Write a claim for a patent on a basic chair. Try to make the claim cover many possibilities.
  • What are four basic actions every U.S. Citizen should do in order to retain citizenship?
  • Should patents be allowed for genetically modified plants/animals?
  • Should "anything under the sun" be patentable (from last week)?

Problem Set 6