Invention and IP ManagementCornell

Certificate Program

There are many great ideas in our world, but not all of them qualify as inventions. Of those that do qualify, even fewer have the necessary elements for commercial potential. How can you determine whether an idea can be turned into something more?

In this course, you will explore the interplay of ideas, innovation, and invention. Using an inventiveness analysis, you will leverage new techniques to determine what makes something truly inventive. You will also practice executing a prior art search by examining existing patents, technical literature, and general media to rule out any similar inventions. By the end of this course, you will have the skills and tools needed to execute an in-depth analysis of an invention — a crucial foundation to ensure an invention is unique and distinct from other options in the market.

An invention may be a novel way to solve a problem, but does anybody want that problem solved? Is it worth the time and effort to develop that solution?

In this course, you will explore strategies for determining the market relevance of an invention. By analyzing each potential application of a given invention, you will start to parse out potential market segments. Using tools in this course, you will determine which market segment makes the most sense for your invention and your team, seeking out the avenue that is most likely to lead to profit. By the end of this course, you will have the tools to forecast where an invention will have the most market relevance, setting you up for success.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Understanding the Invention

To take an idea from its inception to its fully developed potential, it is crucial to properly protect and secure the invention.

In this course, you will explore the different options for protecting inventions and investigate how each option can be leveraged strategically. Starting with the patent, you will explore the full process for how to obtain one, discovering tips and tricks for how to best craft a quality claim. Moving on to other intellectual property tools like trade secrets, trademarks, and copyrights, as well as bioproperty tools, you will analyze which option makes the most sense for a particular invention. By the end of this course, you will have strategies to identify and secure supportive protections for an invention.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Understanding the Invention
• Developing a Unique Value Proposition

Once you have articulated and documented an invention's unique qualities, identified the applicable intellectual and bioproperty tools, and determined the market segment, you will be able to create a winning package to start the commercialization process. Defining a clear and realistic path to market will help ensure your success.

In this course, you will examine how to maximize the value proposition for a given invention for your desired market segment. You will explore how to identify and analyze risks associated with an invention and how to frame those risks in your opportunity package. By leveraging a tool originally developed by NASA, you will determine the steps needed to bring an invention to market and develop a roadmap for meeting that goal. By the end of this course, you will be able to bring all the pieces of an opportunity package together, giving you the foundation needed to begin thinking about a business development plan going forward.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Understanding the Invention
• Developing a Unique Value Proposition
• Securing Inventions, IP, and Bioproperty

One of the most impactful stages of the invention and intellectual property management processes is embarking on the commercialization journey.

In this course, you will explore the different options for commercializing an invention and identify how to select the best option for your needs. Whether your team will take on internal development, pursue a licensing route, or even initiate a startup outside of your organization, you will determine the pathway and the partnership model that is most likely to lead to success. By investigating both the commercialization pathway and the partnership model, you will ultimately be able to propose the combination best fit for a given invention.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Understanding the Invention
• Developing a Unique Value Proposition
• Securing Inventions, IP, and Bioproperty
• Preparing for Commercialization and Implementation

While bringing one invention to market is a crucial skill, developing a system and processes for long-term invention management is necessary for the success of your team's innovative ventures.

In this course, you will examine how to establish a system for invention management at your organization. By leading ideas through an official documentation process, you will discover strategies for helping ideas to become inventions. You will also develop a plan to stimulate ideas and finalize details around the invention or innovation. You will then refine a practice for guiding inventions through the development process. To support the invention management process, you will explore best practices for working with lawyers, giving you a key skill set for invention and intellectual property (IP) management. By the end of this course, you will have a plan in place to create and manage an invention system in your organization and facilitate a mindset geared toward unlocking the commercial potential of inventions.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Understanding the Invention
• Developing a Unique Value Proposition
• Securing Inventions, IP, and Bioproperty
• Preparing for Commercialization and Implementation
• Partnerships and Contracts