Why Patent Engineering at Berkeley? #2

I am taking Patent Engineering (IEOR 190G) because of my passion for technology and entrepreneurship. During my time at Berkeley I have had the opportunity to work with a number of start up companies in Silicon Valley and have learned much about the high tech industry as a result. The bay area is the hub of one of the most profitable and revolutionary industries in the world, one that is founded upon a process of innovation and creative thinking. Intellectual property and patenting create frameworks in which those ideas become profitable realities and allow inventors and entrepreneurs to contribute to society as a result. I am truly interested in learning about the process surrounding intellectual property from engineering and business perspectives. I want to learn how to avoid infringement on other patents, how to identify the "patentability" of inventions, and ultimately how to use patents to turn a profit. This past summer I worked in Venture Capital and was constantly asked to assess the viability of a company's patents. Does a particular patent have any claim on the market? If so, how large is that market and what value proposition does that particular patent have from a competitive standpoint. How can a particular patent be used as leverage in an industry to obtain market power as apple has done? I want to understand how to use patents not only as a business tool but also how protecting intellectual property can become a profitable investment. The last piece I want to understand about patent engineering is how to file a patent and be comfortable doing so. This will enable me to ask tough questions to start up teams that are looking for partnerships and or seeking investments. I look forward to working with Dr. Tal Lavian as I have worked with him in the past through my student organization, TAMID Israel Investment Group.