Forum to cover intellectual property basics for students

University of Wisconsin–Madison students interested in entrepreneurship and innovation will be able to learn more about protecting and commercializing their ideas at a forum on Dec. 10.

The forum, to be held from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Town Center, will feature two presentations introducing students to intellectual property and important early steps in the patent process. The forum is free and open to all UW–Madison students.

Presentations include:

Intellectual Property Basics for Students, by a member of the intellectual property management team at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). Learn about patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets — and how to disclose and protect ideas.

How to Conduct Effective Patent Searches, by Craig Fieschko, intellectual property attorney with DeWitt, Ross & Stevens in Madison. With more than 9 million U.S. patents covering virtually every field of technology, inventors must find ways to cut through the clutter and identify patents relevant to their design challenge. This session will cover some essential search strategies.

The forum is part of the WARF Discovery Challenge Series and is co-sponsored by the Wisconsin School of Business and the College of Engineering. For questions, please email Laura Heisler or call her at 608-316-4392.