MSPL students have made it through the second week of classes. Our students are getting started on their Capstone projects: most have talked to their inventors already, and are starting to get a feel for what they’ve really signed up for.

Inventor interviews are one of the best parts of patent prosecution, and something that patent agents get to do all the time. By definition, inventors have something new and cool to tell you about. They  are therefore usually really enthusiastic about their subject matter, and, especially at a University like Notre Dame, they’re really smart people!

Next week in my class and also in Hal’s class, we’re going to start writing claims. Claims are the part of the patent that defines the property right of the patent owner. They are therefore the most important part of the patent; and not surprisingly, the most difficult to write. I think our students are really going to enjoy claims drafting — it’s like a big jigsaw puzzle to try to find how the pieces should all go together!