Invention, Intellectual Property, and Income

Objectives for Week 18

Individual Assignment

1. Develop a plan for dissemination of my final project.


2. Track the progress of my final project.


• What tasks have been completed, and what tasks remain?


• What's working? What's not?


• What questions need to be resolved?


• What will happen when?


• What have you learned?

Individual Assignment

Invention

An invention is a novel creation or discovery that introduces a new device, method, process, or idea to solve a problem or improve existing solutions. It is typically the result of creative thinking and experimentation, offering practical utility and originality. Inventions can significantly impact society by advancing technology, improving quality of life, or opening new fields of exploration. Often, inventions are protected by patents to grant exclusive rights to the inventor for a certain period, encouraging innovation and further development.

I’m working on a project that may not qualify as a full invention, but it can be considered an innovation. Similar projects have been done before, but I haven’t found an exact match to what I’m creating.

Intellectual Property

Intellectual property (IP) is a category of legal rights that protect creations of the mind, including inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names, and images used in commerce. It allows creators or owners to earn recognition or financial benefits from their work. Common types of IP include patents (for inventions), copyrights (for creative works like books, music, and software), trademarks (for brand names and logos), and trade secrets (for confidential business information). By granting exclusive rights for a limited time, IP laws promote innovation, creativity, and fair competition in the marketplace.

1. Patent- A patent protects new inventions or discoveries, granting the inventor exclusive rights to make, use, or sell the invention for a specific period, usually 20 years. It encourages innovation by allowing inventors to benefit from their creations while sharing technical knowledge with the public.


2. Copyright- Copyright safeguards original works of authorship such as books, music, films, software, and art. It gives the creator the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, or display their work, usually for the creator’s lifetime plus 60 or 70 years, depending on the country.


3. Trademark- A trademark protects symbols, names, logos, and slogans that identify and distinguish a brand’s goods or services. It helps build brand identity and consumer trust, and it can be renewed indefinitely as long as it’s actively used in commerce.


4. Trade Secret- Trade secrets include confidential business information like recipes, manufacturing processes, or marketing strategies that give a company a competitive edge. They are protected through secrecy rather than registration, and their protection lasts as long as the information remains undisclosed.

Open Source Projets

Open source projects are software or hardware projects whose source code or design files are made freely available for anyone to view, use, modify, and distribute. These projects promote collaboration and transparency, allowing developers and contributors from around the world to improve the software, fix bugs, or add new features. Open source projects are typically governed by licenses such as MIT, GNU GPL, or Apache, which define how the code can be used and shared. Examples include Linux, Firefox, Blender, and WordPress. Open source plays a crucial role in innovation, education, and the development of reliable, community-driven technology.

Some open source liscences are listed below,

• Creative Commons.


• GNU General Public License.


• GNU Lesser General Public License.


• The MIT License.


• Apache License.


• Fab License.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons (CC) is a global non-profit organization that provides free, public copyright licenses that allow creators to legally share and use their creative works. Instead of the traditional "all rights reserved" copyright, CC licenses offer a "some rights reserved" approach, making it easier for creators to grant permissions for others to use, share, and build upon their work under specific conditions. These licenses empower a vibrant "commons" of shared knowledge and culture, fostering collaboration and accessibility for billions of works found across various platforms.

1. Public Domain (CC0)


• Free to use by anyone


• No credit needed


• Can be changed and used for any purpose


2. Attribution (CC BY)


• Free to use.


• Must give credit to the creator.


• Can be changed and used commercially.


3. Attribution ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)


• Free to use and change


• Must give credit


• New work must use the same license


4. Attribution No Derivatives (CC BY-ND)


• Can be used and shared


• Must give credit


• Cannot be changed


5. Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)


• Can be used and changed


• Must give credit


• Cannot be used for commercial purposes


6. Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA)


• Can be used and changed


• Must give credit


• Non-commercial use only


• New work must use the same license


7. Attribution NonCommercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)


• Can be shared with credit


• No changes allowed


• Non-commercial use only

Choosing License for my project

I’ve chosen to apply a Creative Commons license to my project because I’m committed to promoting educational use. My goal is to allow people to freely access and use the project's resources for learning, not for commercial gain. By doing so, I hope to support education and encourage open sharing and collaboration in a positive and inclusive way.

I decided to go with CC BY-NC-SA for my project.

Creating my own License

1. Go to Creative Commons.


2. Choose the appropriate license. I choose CC BY-NC-SA 4.0


3. Add the work details and get the license.


4. Got the license and add the html code to the website to add it there.
5. Pasted it in the Week 18 page in VS Code and it was shown in the page.

Income

Income refers to the financial return or earnings generated from a product, service, or intellectual creation. In the context of inventions and intellectual property, income can come from selling the product, licensing its use, offering related services, or obtaining grants and sponsorships. It represents the monetary value derived from creative efforts and innovation. Considering income is important not only for personal or business gain but also for ensuring the sustainability and growth of a project, even when the primary goal is education, sharing, or public benefit.

Progress of my final project

Check my Project developement to check the progress of My Project.

What tasks have been completed, and what tasks remain?

Completed

• 80% of my design was completed till this point.


• Indually tested all the features.


• Combined both Mp3 player and Talking tom and it works well.


• PCB Designed and Fabricated and Soldered.


• Tested the PCB and it works fine.

Pending

• Complete the design.


• Programming.


• Documentation.


• Slide and video.

What's working? What's not?

Individually tested all the features.. Indually it was working fine but needed to test with combined. Combined both the Mp3 and Talking tom and they both works fine.

What questions need to be resolved?

Will all the features works combined?

What will happen when?

What have you learned?

During this journey, I learned more about design and got introduced to electronics. I was able to design an electronic circuit on my own. I also learned how to plan ahead and complete tasks on time, along with understanding how to bring different parts of a system together.

Fab Academy © 2025 by Revisankar S is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0