Plant Genomics

Biography

Biography: Allison Frederick

Abstract

As an innovator and problem solver you likely detest the paperwork associated with research and inventing. Instead you'd rather be in the lab or field conducting experiments and doing the exciting part of your work. In addition, the grant application process along with the effort to get published absorbs valuable time. On top of it all there is still one category of paperwork essential to a successful, sustainable research program. This extra layer is called intellectual property ("IP") management, and it includes legal filings for patents, trademarks, trade secrets, material transfer agreements, plant-breeder rights applications, etc. For many scientists this is the most complicated and expensive component of innovation. Even in working with attorneys and technology transfer centres, there is still a lot of work to be completed by the scientist. The legal side of inventing does not have to be difficult and by creating a Strategic Innovation Plan, like a research plan, you can employ step-by-step algorithms for successfully protecting your inventions and developments. This talk will help you understand how to design a Strategic Innovation Plan by demystifying the different types of legal protection for varieties and  plant genetics  and deciding when to use certain types of protection. A Strategic Innovation Plan requires teamwork and we'll discuss how to strengthen relationships with your technology transfer centres and attorneys. For the entrepreneur, we'll examine the current trends in the marketplace in order to position your inventions for a start-up and meet venture capital expectations.