Intellectual Property in the Real World
What does it mean for an individual or corporation to “own” an idea? What is the difference between a copyright, a trademark, and a patent? And what are the real-world implications of intellectual property for debaters—aside from the fact that the national 2024-25 high school Policy debate topic is “Intellectual Property Rights”? As SVUDL debaters contemplate these questions in preparation for the upcoming season, they might take into account Silicon Valley’s unique relationship to intellectual property—or IP—concerns. That setting also shapes SVUDL’s diverse network of experience and expertise, which remains readily available to connect with students and alumni as they explore IP in debate and in their careers.
At “IP in the Real World”, attendees saw this network in action. On Wednesday, July 17th, SVUDL students, alumni, and staff joined a diverse group of IP experts at the campus of tech company Cisco in northern San José. A result of SVUDL’s partnership with Cisco and the intellectual property law firm Desmarais LLP, “IP in the Real World” brought the SVUDL community together for academic and professional development with a variety of professionals involved in the IP realm.
The event opened with a presentation by Keith Griffin, Cisco Fellow and Site Leader for Cisco Galway. Griffin focused especially on the advent of artificial intelligence, explaining how generative AI models create novel content and providing examples of recently patented AI technology. In the process, attendees gained a deeper understanding of the unique issues that AI raises for IP rights, government regulation, and society at large.
After a question-and-answer period, members of Desmarais and Cisco Legal led an interactive presentation on identifying and describing intellectual property. Leslie Spencer, Partner at Desmarais and SVUDL Board member, opened with a hands-on group exercise, showing how patents, copyrights, and trademarks are connected to objects as varied as Cisco routers, ski goggles, computer servers, and MP3 players. Members of the Cisco Legal team followed with more examples while also discussing their varied journeys to IP law. Afterwards, Sarita Venkat, the Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Global Litigation and Competition at Cisco, shared more about her team’s work. In the process, Venkat described not only the foundational goals of her team’s antitrust litigation at Cisco, but also the myriad entry points to and roles within IP. All presenters called attention to the diversity—potential and actual—of IP and IP law, a topic which stayed in the forefront throughout the day.
Attendees particularly enjoyed the overview of the careers within IP that presenters shared. After the event, May Gomez of Mount Pleasant shared that she “really enjoyed” not just “the experience of being at CISCO”, but also “learning more about what IP lawyers do!”
SVUDL Board member, Partner at Desmarais, and event presenter Leslie Spencer was similarly enthusiastic. Spencer highlighted that the morning provided students and alumni with “a range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences that enriched their understanding of technology, its role in their lives and the careers that it offers”, sharing further that she “could not have been more pleased to participate in such a rich learning experience for our students.”
In what was another highlight of the event for many attendees, “IP in the Real World” closed with a networking lunch with Cisco’s legal department. Participants had the opportunity to chat not only with attorneys and legal interns at Cisco and Desmarais, but also other professionals in the IP world, including engineers and data analysts. These professionals were eager to meet with students and alumni, getting to know their interests and goals while offering encouragement, support, and guidance. Students had the chance to learn more about the different pathways to the IP world while networking and forming professional connections with supportive adults. Mia Carate, a Summer Bridge student at James Lick High School, shared that at the lunch, students "talked about what we wanted to do in the future and college.” Of one of her interlocutors, Carate said, “I felt like she was trying to prepare me." Adilene Mendoza, a Social Studies teacher at James Lick High School, said of the lunch that it “was an excellent opportunity to mingle with people who weren't teachers, who are doing different jobs in the professional world and can offer advice."
“IP in the Real World” would not have been possible without the commitment of attendees from Cisco and Desmarais to connect with students, learn about their interests, and prepare them for the upcoming debate season—and their professional lives.
