Quote:
Originally Posted by Nathan Streeter
Interesting... seems like a nice concept, but I'm skeptical of anything that is piping ideas toward Dean, particularly when most people submitting for the FFIA either won't have a patent law consultant, won't have nearly as much/good patent law consulting, or won't take the time to protect their concept.
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The award's official page includes this:
Quote:
Protect Your Innovation
FIRST strongly encourages all teams to file for patent protection by filing a provisional patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) before submitting for the FIRST Future Innovator Award.- Additional information regarding provisional patent applications can be found at www.uspto.gov.
- Once an idea is shared through submission for this award, patent protection can only be sought in the United States and cannot be sought in any other jurisdiction, unless a provisional patent in another country has been filed before submission. (Patent laws vary from country to country, so please consult your country’s patent office or a patent professional familiar with the laws of your country to inquire about filing in your home country. The World Intellectual Property Organization provides information about the International Patent System at: http://www.wipo.int/pct/en/)
- Judges for the award will be under a non-disclosure agreement with FIRST.
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It is of course not perfect, but they are encouraging applicants to think about this, and provide some information on how to learn more about protecting their ideas.