Month seven was a class entitled Advanced Entertainment Law. Our Leadership Portfolio for this month was another interview with an industry professional. We were asked to go interview a lawyer related to our chosen business profession. I interviewed a patent lawyer, Rob Frame from Boston MA, who I had worked with on a few of my inventions in the past. Though I had worked with him before strictly for business purposes, I had never previously sat down with him to get information on his actual career. In the interview, Rob Frame and I discussed how he got to where he is today, what qualifications he needs, and the process he has to go through with each client who tries to file a patent. What interested me in this conversation were the moral issues involved. Rob explained that obviously everyone who comes into his office with an invention is more money in his pocket. However, he also explained the moral dilemma that comes into play when his years of experience tell him that someone’s invention is not patentable and/or not going to be successful. He said that some clients are so stuck on an idea that they don’t listen to his advice. He also said that some clients don’t want his advice. They simply want him to do what they are paying him for. This made me think that probably in every area of law, there must constantly be moral battles you need to balance against your need for the money from these clients.
I was very pleased with Rob’s response when I asked him if there were anything he would recommend that I do in the future to be a better client to patent attorneys. He said that he really couldn’t give me any advice, because based on our previous dealings together I was actually a perfect client. He told me that I had the right attitude and vision to know when to keep pursuing an idea and when to drop it. He also said that many people just expect him to know everything there is to know about the industry their patent will reside in, which is unrealistic. He commended me on my ability to keep him updated from my own research and industry knowledge for him to use as a starting point to then further conduct his own. I would say that creating positive change, influence, and problem solving, which I have listed as weaknesses are actually the foundation to being an entrepreneurial inventor. I have not had a successful patent yet, but I believe my positive attitude and vision will persevere to one day have it all pay off.
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