By: Josh Sloat

Illustration: Declan Wrede

Aurora is partnering with Ann Arbor SPARK to deliver a three part SPARK.ed series. You've had questions around patenting and the SPARK team has been listening! We've put this series together to address the most common questions that arise from startups within the SPARK ecosystem. ​Our very own Ashley Sloat, Ph.D. will be the instructor for all three talks.

A Coming of Age Story
​
​The first talk will provide answers to common questions and strategy recommendations for those early years between idea and granted patent. We begin with your idea, how you can talk about it, and what you can and can’t do with it to avoid potentially irreversible patentability issues. We’ll tackle the fundamentals of when your provisional should be filed, how to maximize your runway, and what investors are looking for in your first patent. Moving beyond your provisional filing, we’ll dive into what your startup should be focused on during the critical year of pendency before conversion to a full application.

​Time and Location: Thursday, June 17, 2021 at 11:30am - 12:30pm | Free Online Event

Key Insights for IP Success

Software is eating the world. It’s central to so much of today’s innovation, but in terms of patenting, it’s socially controversial and legally unsettled. We’ll discuss the dynamics at the core of both and what you need to know about the options for protecting your software-based innovation. We’ll take an international look at how the "world" views AI/ML innovations and also hit on particulars for SaaS and open source software considerations. From an implementation perspective, we’ll look at managing code ownership when outsourcing and how iterative agile methodology can impact your patent strategy.​

Time and Location: Tuesday, September 14, 2021 at 11:30am - 12:30pm | Free Online Event

​Responsible Engagement with Engineering Firms

You have your big idea and now it’s time to breathe it into existence, but you need some help with the development. In this talk, we discuss everything you need to know before and during the course of engaging with an engineering firm. We’ll cover IP ownership, assignment from engineering firm inventors back to you, and how to avoid the traps of viral IP. 

Time and Location: Thursday, December 9, 2021 at 11:30am - 12:30pm | Free Online Event

​Registration details to follow.

About Ann Arbor SPARK: For more than 15 years, Ann Arbor SPARK has served the greater Ann Arbor region as a catalyst for economic development. They accomplish this by building awareness of the region as a destination for business and manufacturing development and growth. Their team of knowledge experts attracts, develops, strengthens, and invests in driving industries to help their communities prosper.

By:Josh Sloat

​The Future of Software and Fair Use
​Listen in as our expert panel breaks down Google v. Oracle and what it means for the future of software development and fair use. This legal contest has been heralded as the “World Series of IP cases” and the “copyright case of the decade”.

It’s a landmark case, 11 years in the making, between two industry heavyweights – Google, the undisputed king of search and mobile operating system market share, accused of both patent and copyright infringement against Oracle, the owner of the ubiquitous Java API.

​At stake is a winner take or keep-all purse of $9 billion in damages and a Supreme Court ruling that will dictate the future of software interface copyright law. Ashley Sloat, President & Director of Patent Strategy here​​ at Aurora, serves as your guide, cutting through 11 years of case law, 3 trials, 2 appeals, and endless technology metaphors, all in an illuminating IP conversation that runs the gamut from patent infringement to copyright violation and ultimately settles on a matter of fair use doctrine. 

Patently Strategic is available on all major podcasting directories, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. We're also available on 12 other directories including Stitcher, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn, so you should be able to find us wherever you listen to podcasts.

If you’re an agent or attorney and would like to be part of the discussion or an inventor with a topic you’d like to hear discussed, please reach out.

For the visual learners out there, we also like to make our presenter slides available for your reference. This particular deck includes great visuals for explaining the core technical concepts around API interface declaration vs. implementation, as well as inclusion of direct excerpts from the various court rulings.