Today I got to wear my teacher hat and my lawyer hat at the same time. Thank you to the local ProVisors chapter for inviting me to speak. Thank you to my colleagues for welcoming me and engaging with me in a lively discussion. If you missed it, you may download my PowerPoint here. Read, copy and share abundantly!

Patent, trademark and copyright law touches so many of our lives, whether attorneys or not. We use products every day that are patented, brands that are trademarked. We read books, watch movies and listen to music. Many of that is copyrighted. Our founding fathers recognized the importance of protecting innovation. A large part of my job is writing, advocating and filling out forms. It is not exciting, but it is necessary.

The best part of my job is meeting the people who create the things we use and see every day: shaving brush holders, floorboard joist supports, guard rails, vending machine components, ice cream cones, weapons, musical instruments. They might not be famous, and their products might not change the course of history, but they touch all of our lives.

It was Steve Jobs who famously said, “those who are crazy to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” These people all thought they had a crazy idea, and now? They have patents! What did you think of today?