Human Potential the Next Level of Competition September 14-15 2011, New York

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Human Potential the Next Level of Competition September 14-15 2011, New York Ideas Economy: Human Potential The next level of competition September 14-15 2011, New York Synopsis Competition among nations, companies, and individuals is more extreme than ever. The recent economic slowdown in the developed world and the shift towards emerging economies is adding extra fuel to the trends transforming the nature of work. We are in an age of record unemployment and underemployment in the rich world, while technological innovations are ensuring increased opportunities for those from poorer countries. This topsy-turvy environment is making the battle for jobs and the global war for talent, grow fiercer. However the rise of the social web, a renewed focus on innovation, and expansion of the entrepreneurial spirit have created a world where there are more possibilities for humans than ever before. Ideas Economy: Human Potential will examine the mechanisms through which individuals, companies and nations can channel competitive energy into positive change. We will bring together broad thinkers from a variety of disciplines and progressive companies, to discuss new ideas which will allow humans to flourish. Through interactive, action-oriented sessions with top thinkers on strategy, innovation, management, creativity, and information, Ideas Economy: Human Potential will chart a new map for growth, productivity, and progress for a competitive age. Chairpersons Matthew Bishop, US Business Editor, New York Bureau Chief, The Economist Adrian Wooldridge, Management Editor and Schumpeter Columnist, The Economist Speakers Daniel Altman, Director of Thought Leadership, Dalberg Global Development Advisors Kurt Andersen, Host, “Studio 360” Sonia Arrison, Author, "100 Plus" Hilary Austen, Author, “Artistry Unleashed” Michael Beer, Cahners-Rabb Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus, Harvard Business School Ryan Blair, Chief Executive Officer, ViSalus Julie Burstein, Author, “Spark: How Creativity Works” Ángel Cabrera, President, Thunderbird School of Global Management Amy Cappellazzo, Chairman, Postwar & Contemporary Development, Christie’s International This programme is subject to change. The Economist 2011 © Steve Case, Chairman, Startup America Rosanne Cash, Singer-songwriter Marc Cenedella, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, TheLadders Jared Cohen, Director, Google Ideas Tyler Cowen, Professor of Economics, George Mason University Gerry Crispin, Founder and President, CareerXroads Susan Cruz, Founder, Sin Fronteras Joseph Curtatone, Mayor, City of Somerville, Massachusetts Adam Davidson, Co-host and Co-founder, “Planet Money” Ana Dutra, Chief Executive Officer, Leadership and talent consulting, Korn/Ferry International Juan Enriquez, Author, “Homo Evolutis” Louis Ferrante, Author, “Mob Rules” Rich Floersch, Executive Vice-president and Chief Human Resources Officer, McDonald’s R Gopalakrishnan, Director, Tata Sons Lynda Gratton, Professor, London Business School Lane Greene, Correspondent, The Economist Nandita Gurjar, Senior Vice-president and Group Head, Infosys John Hagel, Co-director, Deloitte Center for the Edge Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Founding President and Chairman, Center for Work-Life Policy Tony Hsieh, Chief Executive Officer, Zappos.com Daniel Kahneman, Professor, Princeton University Austin Kleon, Author, “Newspaper Blackout” Anne Kreamer, Author, “It’s Always Personal” Edward Ludwig, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Becton Dickinson Judy McGrath, Former Chief Executive Officer, MTV Networks Roger Martin, Dean, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto Paul D. Miller “DJ Spooky”, Multimedia artist-composer Nitin Nohria, Dean, Harvard Business School Dev Patnaik, Chief Executive Officer, Jump Associates Venkatesh Rao, Blogger, Ribbonfarm Shai Reshef, Founder and President, University of the People Devonte Rosero, Performing-artist and Magician James Rubin, Contributing Editor, Economist Intelligence Unit Herb Scannell, President, BBC Worldwide America Tony Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer, The Energy Project Dov Seidman, Chief Executive Officer, LRN Peter Sims, Author, “Little Bets” Dwayne Spradlin, Chief Executive Officer, InnoCentive Martha Stewart, Founder, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Mara Swan, Executive Vice-preident of Global Strategy and Talent, ManpowerGroup Gary Swart, Chief Executive Officer, oDesk Neil Taylor, Creative Director, The Writer This programme is subject to change. The Economist 2011 © Sherry Turkle, Author, "Alone Together" Sophie Vandebroek, Chief Technology Officer, Xerox Jeff Weiner, Chief Executive Officer, LinkedIn Ben Wildavsky, Senior Fellow, Research and Policy, Kauffman Foundation This programme is subject to change. The Economist 2011 © Programme Day one – Wednesday, September 14, 2011 9.30 am Registration and refreshments Prelude 10.00 am A data visualisation The next seven billion 10.05 am Introduction and welcome remarks Act 1 My world 10.15 am Labour wars: Macro trends and the future of work Global trends in the jobs market will have serious implications for businesses, governments and individuals. Effective policies are needed to bring down the rate of unemployment and create quality jobs, while the forces of globalisation and digitisation are transforming the nature of work and creating new types of professions. This session will examine the new global landscape for work and the opportunities and challenges surrounding the changing environment. Matthew Bishop, US Business Editor, New York Bureau Chief, The Economist Lynda Gratton, Professor, London Business School Moderator: Adam Davidson, Co-host and Co-founder, “Planet Money” 10.45 am Flash interview: Women and the way up In fast-growing emerging economies the pool of highly educated and talented female workers remains limited. In the US, women now make up over half the workforce and over half of college graduates. This is a tricky landscape for global businesses, only some of which truly foster a culture for retaining and accelerating female talent. What can companies do to leverage these trends, and what does a majority-female workforce mean for the future of work? Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Founding President and Chairman, Center for Work- Life Policy This programme is subject to change. The Economist 2011 © Interviewer: Matthew Bishop, US Business Editor, New York Bureau Chief, The Economist 11.00 am Grey days: Science and progress in an aging world Advances in technology and science have precipitated a longevity revolution, and some might say—a new human species. But are we ready for the massive social and economic implications of these changes? Does an aging world lead to more innovation and greater prosperity or social chaos and economic doom? Sonia Arrison, Author, "100 Plus" Juan Enriquez, Author “Homo Evolutis” Moderator: Adrian Wooldridge, Management Editor and Schumpeter Columnist, The Economist 11.30 am Widening the net: Can technology scale education? The advanced knowledge and skill sets needed to compete in the global workforce are more intense than ever—and so is the cost of college education. Despite massive technological progress, some argue that the last true educational innovation was the Open University in Britain in the 1970s. How can we better harness technology to disrupt higher- education and scale it to reach the masses? Ángel Cabrera, President, Thunderbird School of Global Management Shai Reshef, Founder and President, University of the People Ben Wildavsky, Senior Fellow, Research and Policy, Kauffman Foundation Moderator: Adrian Wooldridge, Management Editor and Schumpeter Columnist, The Economist 12.15 pm Lunch Sponsored by ADP, Inc. Going global: Talent for a world without borders Introduction by Regina R. Lee, Division President, ADP, Inc. Michael Beer, Cahners-Rabb Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus, Harvard Business School This programme is subject to change. The Economist 2011 © Ana Dutra, Chief Executive Officer, Leadership and talent consulting, Korn/Ferry International Edward Ludwig, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Becton Dickinson Moderator: Lane Greene, Correspondent, The Economist 1.45 pm Focus on India: Creating leaders for tomorrow Economic activity in India is accelerating at an extraordinary rate, and Indian companies are finding it difficult to find the right high-level talent to keep up. Furthermore, antiquated educational systems are forcing corporations to create hubs of education within their companies. This session will explore the best models for developing and nurturing talent in a fast-changing environment. R Gopalakrishnan, Director, Tata Sons Nandita Gurjar, Senior Vice-president and Group Head, Infosys Moderator: Adrian Wooldridge, Management Editor and Schumpeter Columnist, The Economist 2.15 pm Flash of genius: I'm a Solver How challenges unleash a world of human potential Dwayne Spradlin, Chief Executive Officer, InnoCentive 2.25 pm In pursuit of happiness: New ways to measure well-being The big data revolution has unleashed a complex relationship between economic growth and social progress. Governments around the world are now using data to re-examine the way they measure human progress— and reconsidering the role of GDP. Should governments really be measuring our happiness and what does this mean for the state’s ability to maximise human potential? Daniel Kahneman, Professor, Princeton University Dov Seidman, Chief Executive Officer, LRN Joseph Curtatone, Mayor, City of Somerville, Massachusetts Interviewer: Matthew Bishop, US Business Editor, New York Bureau Chief, The Economist 3.10pm The Economist InnoCentive
Recommended publications
  • The Mythical Beginnings of Intellectual Property
    THE MYTHICAL BEGINNINGS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY * Jessica Silbey INTRODUCTION People commonly justify intellectual property protection with homage to utilitarianism (maximizing the incentive to create, invent, or produce quality goods)1 or natural rights (people should own the product of their creative, inventive, or commercial labor).2 Despite the on-going dominance of these theories, a dissatisfying lack of a comprehensive explanation for the value of intellectual property protection remains.3 One reason for this failure is that economic analysis of intellectual property law tends to undervalue its humanistic element.4 Whereas utilitarianism and natural rights theories are familiar, at least one other basis for intellectual property protection exists. This Article explains how intellectual property protection is rooted in narrative theory.5 It contends that all the U.S. copyright, patent, and trademark regimes are structured around and * Associate Professor of Law, Suffolk University School of Law. [email protected]. Ph.D. University of Michigan (Comparative Literature), J.D., University of Michigan Law School, A.B. Stanford University. For their helpful comments on this developing project, I thank Barton Beebe, Dan Burk, Frank Cooper, Lorie Graham, Michael Madison, William McGeveran, Stephen McJohn, Robert Merges, Michael Rustad, Miguel Schor and Rebecca Tushnet. Thanks also to workshop participants and colloquia attendees at the 2006 Intellectual Property Scholars Conference at Boalt Hall, University of Iowa College of Law, and the Washington College of Law at American University, and the New England IP Scholars Forum hosted by Northeastern University School of Law. I received excellent research assistance from Andrea DeStefano, Paul D’Agostino and Steven Dimirsky and from the staff of the John Joseph Moakley Suffolk University Law Library, especially Susan Sweetgall and Sabrina Ash.
    [Show full text]
  • Download File
    The Columbia SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LAW REVIEW www.stlr.org THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS: A CRITIQUE OF KSR‘S UNWARRANTED REINTERPRETATION OF ―PERSON HAVING ORDINARY SKILL‖ Andrew B. Dzeguze1 In KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., the Supreme Court took it upon itself to comment on the supposed knowledge and capacities of a ―person having ordinary skill in the art‖ as used in 35 U.S.C. § 103. This phrase is a key component of analyzing whether patents are ―obvious‖ and lack sufficient value to justify the award of a patent. The perspective of a ―person of ordinary skill in the art‖ is also used in virtually every meaningful standard in the field of patent law. Despite this significance, the Court felt no need to engage in any sort of structural or statutory analysis of the phrase. Instead, the Court at several points suggested that a ―person having ordinary skill in the art‖ would have qualities that are not apparent from the plain language of the statute - such as creativity and insight beyond their immediate field. It may be that the Court did not realize that its statements regarding ―persons having ordinary skill in the art‖ have significant implications both for patent cases involving obviousness and several other areas of the law. Therefore, this article seeks to fill the gaps left by the Court. By way of background, there is a discussion of the origins and evolution of the United States patent system and the development of the concept of ―obviousness‖ over time. An effort at statutory construction of these terms is then made.
    [Show full text]
  • Nature and the Commons: the Vegetable Roots of Intellectual Property
    MAX-PLANCK-INSTI TUT FÜR WI SSENSCHAFTSGESCHI CHTE Max Planck Institute for the History of Science 2009 PREPRINT 382 Jean-Paul Gaudillière, Daniel J. Kevles, Hans-Jörg Rheinberger (eds.) Living Properties: Making Knowledge and Controlling Ownership in the History of Biology NATURE AND THE COMMONS: THE VEGETABLE ROOTS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MARIO BIAGIOLI Many of the papers presented at the conference on “Living Properties” have looked at how people articulate ways to codify and protect the value they see in living organisms, and how, depending on the context, such arrangements may result in either tangible or intangible properties. In some ways, my essay looks at things from the other end, that is, it tries to analyze the role that images of living natural resources (prairies, wild animals, fish, fruit, etc.) are playing in new articulations of IP, and especially in the discourse of the “knowledge commons” of which science is a prime example. Much attention has been paid in recent years to the creative arrangements that scientists are developing to counter the constraints that intellectual property has on their research activities.1 Typical of these proposals is a reliance on the figures of the commons and the public domain, which are usually exemplified by images of free green pastures, public lands, and other shared natural resources.2 There is a striking contrast, however, between the sense of naturalness associated with these images and the highly technological and infrastructural commons the scientists and cultural producers are trying to develop and inhabit – scenarios that are distinctly not natural. These tensions would not be problematic if the association between nature and the commons or the public domain were accidental or metaphorical, but that does not seem to be the case.
    [Show full text]
  • American Patent Law: Liberal and Republican Theories of Governance Benjamin Fay Union College - Schenectady, NY
    Union College Union | Digital Works Honors Theses Student Work 6-2017 American Patent Law: Liberal and Republican Theories of Governance Benjamin Fay Union College - Schenectady, NY Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses Part of the Political Science Commons, and the Tax Law Commons Recommended Citation Fay, Benjamin, "American Patent Law: Liberal and Republican Theories of Governance" (2017). Honors Theses. 24. https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses/24 This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Work at Union | Digital Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Union | Digital Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Fay 1 American Patent Law: Liberal and Republican Theories of Governance Benjamin Fay Professor Bradley D. Hays * * * * * * * * * * * * * Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Honors in the Political Science Department UNION COLLEGE March 3, 2017 Fay 2 Acknowledgements I want to thank Professor Bradley Hays. This project would not have been possible without your help. Special thanks to Doctor Don Merino. I appreciate your help. Table of Contents i Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... 3 ii Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 4 iii Literature Review
    [Show full text]
  • Inventions and Patents
    MODULE 03 Inventions and Patents MODULE 03. Inventions and Patents OUTLINE LEARNING POINT 1: Basics of invention and patent 1. One way of adding value to a product 2. Reasons for patenting an invention LEARNING POINT 2: Patent application 1. Evaluating the patentability of an invention 2. Deciding whether to patent an invention 3. Preparing a patent application (1) Detailed description of the invention (2) Claims (3) Who prepares (4) After filing a patent application LEARNING POINT 3: Patent infringement 1. Definition of patent infringement 2. If you come across your competitor’s patent LEARNING POINT 4: Patent management system 1. Basic elements of a patent management system 2. Patent portfolio INTRODUCTION The term "intellectual property (IP)" is defined as the property resulting from creations of the human mind, the intellect. In this regard, it is fair that the person making efforts for an intellectual creation has some benefit as a result of this endeavor. Probably, the most important among intellectual properties is “patent.” A patent is an exclusive right granted by a government for an invention, which is a product or a process that provides, in general, a new way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a problem. The details on the way of acquiring patents will be provided for protecting precious intellectual properties. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. You understand how to decide whether your new technology or invention should be protected by one or more patents and, if so, how to do so. 2. You know how the grant of a patent over an invention or technology helps you to prevent or have an upper hand in legal disputes that may arise later on.
    [Show full text]
  • Download File
    A Cognitive Compass for a Social World: The Effects of Lay Theories on Networking Engagement Claudius Alexander Hildebrand Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy under the Executive Committee of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2015 © 2015 Claudius A. Hildebrand All rights reserved ABSTRACT A Cognitive Compass for a Social World: The Effects of Lay Theories on Networking Engagement Claudius Alexander Hildebrand Conventional wisdom and a wealth of research suggest that effective networks are an important key to career success. Yet, why do so many people struggle to build and maintain professional relationships? In this dissertation I argue that, rather than not knowing how to network, most people feel conflicted about the idea of networking. The present research applies a motivational framework to networking. Building on the idea of lay theories in motivational psychology, this dissertation investigates how lay theories of social intelligence influence networking engagement. Hereby, I distinguish between fixed (social intelligence is inborn and static) and growth (social intelligence can be nurtured and developed) theories of social intelligence and develop a new Lay Theories of Social Intelligence (LaySI) scale. Results show that LaySI is a distinct construct and predicts engagement in networking above and beyond the effects of personality traits. Using multiple methodologies, including experiments and field studies, this dissertation shows that people holding fixed theories not only feel less engaged, but also are less likely to create new relationships and seek fewer opportunities to network. Tracing the mechanism for reduced engagement, this dissertation identifies two mediators by which fixed theories inhibit networking engagement: people’s attitudes toward networking as immoral and futile endeavor.
    [Show full text]
  • The Myth of the Sole Inventor
    Michigan Law Review Volume 110 Issue 5 2012 The Myth of the Sole Inventor Mark A. Lemley Stanford Law School Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr Part of the Intellectual Property Law Commons Recommended Citation Mark A. Lemley, The Myth of the Sole Inventor, 110 MICH. L. REV. 709 (2012). Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr/vol110/iss5/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Michigan Law Review at University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Michigan Law Review by an authorized editor of University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE MYTH OF THE SOLE INVENTORt Mark A. Lemley* The theory of patent law is based on the idea that a lone genius can solve problems that stump the experts, and that the lone genius will do so only if properly incented. But the canonical story of the lone genius inventor is largely a myth. Surveys of hundreds of significant new technologies show that almost all of them are invented simultaneously or nearly simultaneous- ly by two or more teams working independently of each other. Invention appears in significant part to be a social, not an individual, phenomenon. The result is a real problem for classic theories of patent law. Our domi- nant theory of patent law doesn't seem to explain the way we actually implement that law. Maybe the problem is not with our current patent law, but with our current patent theory.
    [Show full text]
  • Intellectual Property Part 3, Patents
    Out of the Wood BY MIKE WOOD Intellectual Property Part 3, Patents AS A RECAP THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES the discussion concern- patenting an improvement to an existing process which has been ing the four main types of Intellectual Property (IP) a company or patented by another inventor – anyone, including you, wishing to individual may own – perhaps without even realizing it. Those four use your improvement would have to license the original inventor’s categories are trademarks, copyright, patents and trade secrets. The patent as well as your new one. previous two articles in this series have dealt with copyrights and All this sounds great in concept; unfortunately patents can be trademarks so this time we are going to cover patents – perhaps the a double edged sword for society. In general although it is a good form of Intellectual Property that most people think of first. thing to reward innovation and protect the investment of creative I should perhaps make it clear that I am not a lawyer so nothing people who think up ideas, too many patents can stifle a market- I talk about in these articles is legal advice. The articles are based on place by forcing the privatization of knowledge that may be of information I’ve picked up over the years and found useful based on much more benefit if it were in the public domain. Patents were my personal point of view as a product designer and developer in our originally introduced as a way of making sure that good ideas industry. Because of that my comments are undoubtedly somewhat got public exposure while still rewarding the original inventor, selective and subjective.
    [Show full text]
  • Inventing Invention: a Case Study of Legal Innovation John F
    Inventing Invention: A Case Study of Legal Innovation John F. Duffy* “[T]he so-called patentability requirement was invented by the Americans, in particular the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court in the famous case Hotchkiss v. Greenwood in 1850.”1 This is a story about innovation — legal innovation. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, all countries having patent systems generally required patentable inventions to be both new and useful. Those two requirements have now been joined by a third: Patentable inventions must be new, useful and nonobvious. This development is not unique to the law of the United States. Every nation in the World Trade Organization applies these three standards in awarding patents.2 Though nonobviousness is the most recently developed of the three requirements for obtaining a patent, it now generally considered to be the defining feature of invention. Indeed, in United States, what is today called “nonobviousness” was for about a century known as the “invention doctrine,” and n many countries, the doctrine is still known as “inventive step” or simply the patentability requirement (as in the above quote). The doctrine is widely understood to be so fundamental to the proper functioning of the patent system that it can be accurately described as the “final gatekeeper of the patent system,”3 the “ultimate condition of * Oswald Symister Colclough Research Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School. 1 See, e.g., Freidrich-Karl Beier, The Inventive Step in its Historical Development, 17 Intern’l Rev. Indus. Prop. & Copyright L. (IIC) 301, 304 (1986). 2 See TRIPs Article 27.1, which requires member countries to award patents for all inventions that “are new, involve an inventive step and are capable of industrial application.” A footnote defines “‘inventive step’ and ‘capable of industrial application’ ..
    [Show full text]
  • Joint Infringement After BMC: the Demise of Process Patents, 41 Loy
    Loyola University Chicago Law Journal Volume 41 Article 8 Issue 2 Winter 2010 2010 Joint Infringement after BMC: The eD mise of Process Patents Stacie L. Greskowiak Loyola University Chicago, School of Law Follow this and additional works at: http://lawecommons.luc.edu/luclj Part of the Intellectual Property Law Commons Recommended Citation Stacie L. Greskowiak, Joint Infringement after BMC: The Demise of Process Patents, 41 Loy. U. Chi. L. J. 351 (2010). Available at: http://lawecommons.luc.edu/luclj/vol41/iss2/8 This Note is brought to you for free and open access by LAW eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Loyola University Chicago Law Journal by an authorized administrator of LAW eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Joint Infringement After BMC: The Demise of Process Patents Stacie L. Greskowiak* "The patent system.., added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius." - Abraham Lincoln1 I. INTRODUCTION There is a moment when inspiration strikes in an otherwise average life-it can be described as none other than a "flash of genius."2 When innovation moves into the larger culture, it takes on a life-and commercial possibilities-of its own. 3 These flashes of genius have cured polio, 4 created weapons of mass destruction, 5 and allowed humans to fly. 6 To protect these inventions, the patent system was 7 born. The power of the patent system and the critical protection it affords inventors is illustrated by the infamous story of Bob Kearns. 8 After a rogue champagne cork nearly blinded Kearns, 9 he began thinking about .
    [Show full text]
  • Schumpeter and Personal Capitalism Richard N
    University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Economics Working Papers Department of Economics March 1996 Schumpeter and Personal Capitalism Richard N. Langlois University of Connecticut Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/econ_wpapers Recommended Citation Langlois, Richard N., "Schumpeter and Personal Capitalism" (1996). Economics Working Papers. 199605. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/econ_wpapers/199605 Department of Economics Working Paper Series Schumpeter and Personal Capitalism Richard N. Langlois University of Connecticut Working Paper 1996-05 March 1996 341 Mansfield Road, Unit 1063 Storrs, CT 06269–1063 Phone: (860) 486–3022 Fax: (860) 486–4463 http://www.econ.uconn.edu/ Abstract In an earlier paper, I criticized Schumpeter’s account of the obsolescence of the entrepreneur in Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy. That account rests, I argued, on a confusion about the nature of scientific knowledge and its role in the competences of the firm. This paper is an attempt to take up the argument again, moving it away from the doctrine-historical into the provinces of the economics of organization. Drawing on the work of Max Weber, as well as on a case study of the Swiss watch industry, the paper argues for the ineradicable role of personal capitalism, properly understood. Introduction. What kind of capitalism creates rapid and sustained economic growth? One perspective on this question, going back at least to Adam Smith, has focused on those background institutions of civil society that are able to channel the rent- seeking proclivities of individuals into the production of new wealth rather than into the redistribution of existing wealth. Somewhat more recently, however, a perspective has arisen that stresses the role in economic growth not of abstract institutional structures but of the concrete institutions of business organization, notably the modern business firm.
    [Show full text]
  • UCLA Law Review
    U.C.L.A. Law Review Everything Is Obvious Ryan Abbott ABSTRACT For more than sixty years, “obviousness” has set the bar for patentability. Under this standard, if a hypothetical “person having ordinary skill in the art” would find an invention obvious in light of existing relevant information, then the invention cannot be patented. This skilled person is defined as a non-innovative worker with a limited knowledge-base. The more creative and informed the skilled person, the more likely an invention will be considered obvious. The standard has evolved since its introduction, and it is now on the verge of an evolutionary leap: Inventive machines are increasingly being used in research, and once the use of such machines becomes standard, the person skilled in the art should be a person using an inventive machine, or just an inventive machine. Unlike the skilled person, the inventive machine is capable of innovation and considering the entire universe of prior art. As inventive machines continue to improve, this will increasingly raise the bar to patentability, eventually rendering innovative activities obvious. The end of obviousness means the end of patents, at least as they are now. AUTHOR Professor of Law and Health Sciences, University of Surrey School of Law and Adjunct Assistant Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles. Thanks to Ryan Calo, Ian Kerr, Mark Lemley, Lisa Larrimore-Ouellette, and Jake Sherkow, as well as participants in workshops at the University of Surrey, WeRobot Conference, Oxford Business Law Workshop, and the Sixth Annual Fall Conference hosted by the Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property (CPIP) at Antonin Scalia Law School for their insightful comments.
    [Show full text]