IP Basics: Protecting STEAM Innovators and Their Ideas

High school STEAM programs encourage today's young minds to innovate and create to the limits of their dreams. Yet few, if any, teach innovators how to protect their ideas. Intellectual property (IP) refers to intangible creations resulting from the human mind. For example, when one purchases a book, he or she owns the physical personal property - the book. But someone else owns the IP - the copyright to the book. IP Basics and its corresponding Educator's Manual provide the student (and teacher) with sufficient material to protect their creative works. Topics include patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. The legal basis for protections such as the Constitution and corresponding state regulations are also discussed. What makes the presentation unique is the inclusion of various topics apart from IP. Neal Orkin's book comprises sports, history, political science, ethics, civil rights, and humor bringing to life what might seem an ordinary subject matter. This provides a learning experience to captivate the student who will find IP more than simple mundane definitions. The Educator's Manual allows any STEAM teacher without formal legal training to effortlessly present the material to his or her class.