The IP EXPO-Guidelines for Junior Inventors

Hello IPholics! Here is some information about the Junior Inventors Event at the IP Expo along with associated guidelines.
We know that the name of the event excites you to do some innovative stuff. However, the participants do not have to invent anything, instead identify if the invention is novel (i.e. new) in view of the other. Confused, right? Let’s break it down! – Sample questions and answers given below.

There will be two diagrams (say, A and B) provided to you in one problem. Both will be similar looking. You are expected to argue if A is novel with respect to B. And you have the liberty to argue both ways. You can either say A is novel and defend it by mentioning the differentiating features or claim that A lacks any novelty and is fully disclosed in Y. You will progress in the competition based on how compelling your argument is!

At IPPress, we believe that this competition will equip you with an eye to find and extract novelty in inventions. This skill should foster your interest in innovation and patent law. Unlock the Sherlock Holmes in you and find the novelty!
Understand the meaning of novelty here.

IPPress may release a video for the participants to elucidate what novelty is. But it is recommended that these lectures by 2 extraordinary IP professors may be watched to appreciate the concept:

• Professor William Fisher (from the course PatentX): https://vimeo.com/310644870
• Professor Shreya Matilal(from the course Patent Search for Engineers and Lawyers): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNvdtAU-gkc

The rules of the competition are as follows:

1. There will be two (02) rounds in the Junior Inventors competition.
2. In the FIRST ROUND, 3 problems will be provided to the participant (through a mail, WhatsApp or Google Forms – will be confirmed soon) by 09:00 AM of Day 1 (September 24, 2020).
3. In each problem, your submission can be upto 300 words which you may submit by 11:59 PM of Day 1 (September 24, 2020).
4. Shortlisted candidates will be announced by 10:00 AM of Day 2 (September 25, 2020).
5. For the final round, we will give a sample (like round 1) to the shortlisted participants along with the problem by 12:00 PM of Day 2. Here, 2 of the participants will argue that novelty exists and the rest 2 participants will argue that novelty does not exist.
6. The participants will make a final submission of upto 500 words which they will have to submit by 11:00 AM of Day 3 (September 26, 2020).
7. There will be two joint winners of this competition. One who argues that novelty exists and another who argues that novelty is destroyed. This is to tip our hats to the beauty of interpretation and the strength of argumentation in patent law!
8. The submissions have to be the original work of the participant. Any case of plagiarism shall result in automatic disqualification from the competition.
9. Winners and outstanding deserving participants shall be rewarded with cash prize worth 10,000 INR and two free courses offered by Katcheri.in, the partners of the IP Expo.
10. The submissions of winners from this event shall also be featured in The IP Press.
11. Sample question and answer are also posted in the guidelines on our website www.theippress.com. Please have a look for details and registration.

Register here and Await the kickstart of The IP Expo 2020. It is bound to give you immense learning opportunities and experience, combined with guaranteed fun and excitement! Cheers!

Sample Problem: Vivek is a chef in a bakery in Ahmedabad. As he makes high-quality and tasty cakes, his popularity quickly rose throughout the city and consequently, he started to get more orders. However, when he was using an ordinary kitchen knife to slice his pastries, cakes and breads; he faced a few problems: Firstly, the food item used to get damaged and unevenly cut at times. Secondly, whenever he used to cut through, the table cloth at the bottom used to get damaged by the edge of the knife. Finally, the edge of the knife itself got blunt due to repeated contact with the table cloth beneath the cake or bread.

Vivek decided that he will create his own knife to solve these issues. (Picture on the LEFT) Therefore, he kept two blunt protruded edges at the end of the knife’s blade. When fully lowered down, the middle of the knife (the sharpest part) did not come in contact with the table cloth and the two ends being blunt didn’t harm the table cloth as well. When he wanted to patent it, he found a meat knife which was quite similar to his knife. (Picture on the RIGHT) It has a blunt edge at one end to prevent the sharp edge of the blade in coming in contact with the bottom.

Disappointed he comes to you for your advice. What is your take on this?

Sample Answer: I think the Vivek’s knife is novel when compared with the other knife on the right. Let’s break down the knife first. It has a handle to hold the tool, a blade and a mechanism placed in the middle which connects both the handle and the blade. Let us begin with the handle of the knife. Vivek’s handle offers protection to the knuckles from getting damaged or injured from accidental contact with any surface. However, the knife on the right offers no such feature. The handle features novelty.

There isn’t much difference in how the blade and the handle are connected to each other, so that part offers no novelty as such. However, the blade in Vivek’s knife is novel with respect to the one on the right. The blade on the right knife wouldn’t touch the bottom i.e. the table cloth while cutting only when you hold it horizontally parallel with the surface. If you change the angle and move the handle towards yourself, the blade would rotate and touch the table cloth. In the same breath, let’s look at Vivek’s knife’s blade. Since it has a blunt edge on both ends, even if one swings it towards or away from oneself, the blade would never touch the surface. Therefore, the blade is a novel feature. The novelty is strengthened by its shape as well. One has two ends of the blade at the same breadth whereas, in the other one, one end tapers away into a pointed end.

Therefore, in light of the above observations, I believe Vivek’s knife is novel.

For registration, please visit here.