The semester blazed by, it seems like only last week that I was writing the first blog post about why I was taking the course and what I expected from it. 190G was definitely one of my most practical classes this semester. (The other being IEOR 190B). With that my overall experience this semester was one that was enjoyable. I liked what I was learning and the social aspect of learning forced me to learn in a different way than I normally would.
I think what this class gave me the most is the basic framework of general intellectual property and patents. I may not be an expert, but I am confidant that I know more about them than the average person. I remember saying that I hoped this class would give me the practical knowledge to aid me if I ever decided to file for a patent at any point. And I definitely feel that this class gave me those nuggets of information. At the end of the day I believe that this class is giving me another skill and diversifying my way of thinking. From this point forward I'll definitely think of patents differently since I have gained a general understanding of the patent system (USPTO) and the shortcomings of the current system.
I want to end this post by making a brief comment. A friend of mine took this course 6 years ago. Same course: IEOR 190G but back then I don't think it was focused on mobile technologies. Back then he said the class was project based and students ended up filing a provisional patent by the end of the semester. Although this would have been a lot more work, I feel like I would have liked this approach much better. I also don't think this class should maintain focus on mobile technologies, I think it should be a broader survey of IP/Patents. CET should opt to go back to the old structure. But it goes without saying that I still learned plenty this semester with the current format.
I felt satisfied at the end of the semester with regards to this class. Unlike microeconomics or international trade, this class is extremely practical and taught things that I can apply almost instantaneously; not theories I'll never visit again.
A project based class sounds like a cool idea! Learning how to file a provisional patent application would be a great experience for students going through the class. And instead of just talking about obviousness and claims and everything, we could apply what we learn.
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