Computer Science Department Seminar
Intellectual Property: An Overview
Intellectual property issues are constantly in the news –the Apple vs. Samsung, Alice Corporation vs. CLS, Myriad legal cases are just a few of those that have had and will always have a significant impact on how companies routed in technology will conduct business in the future. In the Myriad case, the US Supreme Court ruled that naturally occurring genes and their uses cannot be patented, Alice vs. CLS will set a new standard for patentability of software code and so-called business method patents; think Amazon one-Click® method. In today’s technology based world, it is critical to have a basic understanding of the types of IP, how they are created and protected. This talk will explore patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. In addition, IP policy within the University setting will be described.
Bio: Keith Strassner currently serves as the Assistant Vice Provost for Business and Technology Development at Missouri University of Science and Technology (S&T), focused on expanding the economic footprint of the University through commercialization of the University’s technology assets via licenses, partnerships and entrepreneurial activities, including development of Missouri S&T’s Innovation Park. He has served as a board member of the Rolla Regional Economic Commission (RREC), Tech44® an economic development program to attract technology enabled companies to the Interstate 44 corridor in Missouri and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Missouri Enterprise, a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partner.
Since joining the University he has been invited to present on Intellectual property issues across the state and on successful methods of “doing business” with a University at a number of industry sponsored events including the American Ceramic Society’s Innovations in Biomedical Materials and IEEE’s International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference (I2MTC), Licensing Executives Society (LES) and Association of University Technology Mangers (AUTM).
Before joining the S&T in October of 2005 he worked for twenty five years in a variety of roles in the private sector, principally in the chemical and material industries. In his last industrial position he served as the Assistant Director for Alliances and Government Relations at Brewer Science, Inc. responsible for the identification and development of strategic alliances and partnerships. In this role he served as their key liaison with Missouri’s Congressional offices and the Department of Defense contracting agencies. Prior to joining Brewer Science, he spent 16 years with Petrolite Corporation (now Baker-Hughes Corp.), a specialty chemical company holding a variety of technical, business development and marketing positions including Manager of New Business Development and Director of Research and Development.
Keith Strassner holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the Missouri University of Science and Technology (1979) and a Masters of Arts in Marketing from Webster University (1988).
His outside interests include a passion for improving pK-12 public education. He served fifteen years as a member of the Rolla Public School Board stepping down in 2017. He served four terms as Board President. He was also active on the Missouri School Boards Association Board of Directors as a member of the Executive Committee influencing public policy, federal and state legislation on public education.