Does anyone have any patents?

[orrghead16]

Does anyone have any patents? How much weight can they carry if a pre-med has one before applying to medical school?

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[Ersatzious]

Does anyone have any patents? How much weight can they carry if a pre-med has one before applying to medical school?

I do, a patent for attaching antibodies to phospholipid coated nanoparticles for use as MRI contrast agents. Carried a lot of weight with admissions based on the comments I received during my interviews.

 

[durfen]

Yeah some patents as an undergrad. Mostly for software/algorithms. Yeah I know, pretty useless.

 

[bottles999]

Does anyone have any patents? How much weight can they carry if a pre-med has one before applying to medical school?

I have a few patents and one "Trade Secret" from my engineering career. The trade Secret carries a similar legal status as a patent, but certainly not disclosed. Not an attorney so not 100% sure, just what I was told. Got a bigger award $$$ -wise for it. Go figure.

As far as any patent being useless, depends on your perspective on it. It certainly proves your ability to do something unique-never before done, which someone believes is of merit. Its more of a personal thing you can use for resume/application-fodder, if your not making any real $$ off the patent.

 

[solitude]

I have a few patents and one "Trade Secret" from my engineering career. The trade Secret carries a similar legal status as a patent, but certainly not disclosed. Not an attorney so not 100% sure, just what I was told. Got a bigger award $$$ -wise for it. Go figure.

As far as any patent being useless, depends on your perspective on it. It certainly proves your ability to do something unique-never before done, which someone believes is of merit. Its more of a personal thing you can use for resume/application-fodder, if your not making any real $$ off the patent.

I just covered the difference between a patent and a trade secret in a course last semester. In case you're interested...


As you know, a patent is a contract with the government that grants the right to exclude, in return that a full description of the invention be provided and fully available after a set length of time.

On the other hand, a trade secret is just that, a secret. Basically, the company or individuals has decided that they will protect the secret for an indefinite length of time, taking the risk that if the secret is to get out, they are not entitled to any protection of intellectual property.


So some of the pertinent differences are the following:
-anybody can legally view a patent application and thereby understand the invention, but nobody is legally entitled to view/know the trade secret
-a patent protects against reverse engineering, but a trade secret does not (i.e., if somebody figures out how the trade secret works, the inventor is not entitled to the right to exclude)
-trade secrets usually last longer, as companies guard them with their lives (think of the Coca Cola recipe). Obviously, after a patent is up, anybody can reproduce and sell the invention.
-one can (and often does) license patents, but generally a trade secret is not licensed but rather fiercely protected
-anybody who helped contribute to the invention must be listed on the patent application and receive a cut of the proceeds from licensing the patent for production of the invention, whereas people who know about the trade secret can have their silence bought (this is probably where you received some money)


And that is all I can remember for now. Pretty interesting stuff, though.

 

[qwopty99]

how is the patent application like? is it very laborious?

 

[orrghead16]

Thanks for the replies all. We have just started the process and it really is confusing. I guess the Med Center owns the right to the patent and they get the final say on whether or not it patented. And if the university decides they dont want to go through with it, there is nothing we can do.

Just an undergrad and you already feel the consequences of working in academia .

 

[bottles999]

how is the patent application like? is it very laborious?

You really have to work with a patent attorney. The language is quite unique and the format is too. We would submit a paper describing the invention and then meet with the attorney. However, the actual application... NEVER looked anything like what we provided them.

One more note, Its atleast a 1-2 even 3 year process for the US patent office to officially confer the number after they do their thing.

 

[bottles999]

I just covered the difference between a patent and a trade secret in a course last semester. In case you're interested...


As you know, a patent is a contract with the government that grants the right to exclude, in return that a full description of the invention be provided and fully available after a set length of time.

On the other hand, a trade secret is just that, a secret. Basically, the company or individuals has decided that they will protect the secret for an indefinite length of time, taking the risk that if the secret is to get out, they are not entitled to any protection of intellectual property.


So some of the pertinent differences are the following:
-anybody can legally view a patent application and thereby understand the invention, but nobody is legally entitled to view/know the trade secret
-a patent protects against reverse engineering, but a trade secret does not (i.e., if somebody figures out how the trade secret works, the inventor is not entitled to the right to exclude)
-trade secrets usually last longer, as companies guard them with their lives (think of the Coca Cola recipe). Obviously, after a patent is up, anybody can reproduce and sell the invention.
-one can (and often does) license patents, but generally a trade secret is not licensed but rather fiercely protected
-anybody who helped contribute to the invention must be listed on the patent application and receive a cut of the proceeds from licensing the patent for production of the invention, whereas people who know about the trade secret can have their silence bought (this is probably where you received some money)


And that is all I can remember for now. Pretty interesting stuff, though.

WOW Thanks for clarifying that. You did a much better job than the patent attonrey at work did. Actually, this company paid I higher bonus for the Trade Secret than patent application. Since it was all done through the same group and ppl, I always lumpped the two together. Sorry for not really understanding the nuances there.

 

[solitude]

WOW Thanks for clarifying that. You did a much better job than the patent attonrey at work did. Actually, this company paid I higher bonus for the Trade Secret than patent application. Since it was all done through the same group and ppl, I always lumpped the two together. Sorry for not really understanding the nuances there.

No prob. I guess it makes sense that they paid more for the trade secret--as long as they can buy your silence, they have an indefinite monopoly on the invention.

 

[Circumflex]

You really have to work with a patent attorney. The language is quite unique and the format is too. We would submit a paper describing the invention and then meet with the attorney. However, the actual application... NEVER looked anything like what we provided them.

One more note, Its atleast a 1-2 even 3 year process for the US patent office to officially confer the number after they do their thing.

Plus all the money (submission fees + re-submission fees + more fees + attorney fees). Getting a patent is only worthwhile if there is someone who will buy it.

 

[bottles999]

Plus all the money (submission fees + re-submission fees + more fees + attorney fees). Getting a patent is only worthwhile if there is someone who will buy it.

There are different reasons companies go through the patent process, more than just to make money off it. Albeit that is the most obvious reason. For example, sometimes its to block potential competitors from using a particular application, invention, or metholodgy that would enable a competitor to enter in the same business or market space. However, the company has no real plans on using that invention, yet they hold the patents and the rights to use it, license it, or sue the other company.

Patents are not quite that Black n White, or so I have found in my travels. Have worked in a number of groups that really pressed for patents.

 

[hondapride]

this guy wants a patent

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph...y+powers"&OS="godly+powers"&RS="godly+powers%

 

[solitude]

this guy wants a patent

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph...y+powers"&OS="godly+powers"&RS="godly+powers%

that is hilarious. Any idea whether he's just a goofball, or actually delusional?


edit: I found his website. www.mytrumanshow.com. A la FoxNews, I only report--you decide.