By: Josh Sloat

Who should be listed as an inventor for a patent?
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In the US especially, patents are granted to inventors. More often than not, that’s more than one person and the ideas themselves are fluid concepts that often evolve through many handoffs from initial conception through implementation and sometimes even throughout patent prosecution, but how do we determine who all should – and is legally required to be – officially named as an inventor? 

In the constitutionally expressed interest of protecting inventors and the conception of their ideas, failure to include the right people can be a death sentence for a patent and grounds for invalidity.

In this episode, Daniel Wright, Partnership Manager and Patent Strategist here​​ at Aurora, will lead a deep dive into the origins of inventorship, break down who is and isn’t eligible for inclusion as an inventor, and explain how improper inventorship could result in revoked patent rights.

Daniel is joined today by: 

• David Jackrel, President of Jackrel Consulting  
• David Cohen, Principal at Cohen Sciences 

​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 the guided invalidity search walkthrough.
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We're also providing computer-generated transcripts for improved accessibility and additional reference opportunities. 

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.

Part 1: Patenting in the Early Years: A coming-of-age story
Part 2: Decrypting Software Patents: Key Insights for IP Success

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

​To help reduce the IP barrier of entry for early stage founders and startups, we regularly make our talented staff available for speaking engagements at conferences, competitions, accelerators,​ and incubators. We also partner with groups like Ann Arbor SPARK, XLerateHealth, and InnovatorMD to host live webinars. Please reach out if you'd like to schedule a talk or workshop for your group, and see our Events page for a sampling of past and upcoming talks.