Endless IP joined Patriots Technology Training Center at the Girl Scouts STEM Carnival
Who knew that the founder of the Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low, has two patents? One patent (USPN 1,124,925) is for folding an ordinary piece of paper into a cup that holds water.
“If you had a water bottle company, what would the name of it be? What characteristics does your water have that others do not?
These were two of the questions Jesse Fenty, Founder of Endless IP, asked the Girl Scouts at the recent Patriots Technology Training Center (Patriots TCC) STEM Carnival. After figuring out a name, the Girl Scouts were challenged to design a logo and develop a unique water bottle shape.
Intellectual Property Activity for Kids (reference)
Assemble at least six different water bottles sold at convenience stores, such as Dasani, Aquafina, Evian, Smartwater, Essence, etc. Or, copy pictures of these water bottles and distribute them to students. Ask the students to identify the differences in the water bottles, or write the differences on paper. Answers should include that the water bottles all have different names, different characteristics, and have different shapes and sizes.
Explain to the students that the names displayed on the water bottles are Trademarks that are owned by private companies, and the U.S. government protects the ability of these companies to use the Trademarks to identify the source of the goods.
Not only are there Trademarks at work in this exercise, explain to the students that the shapes and materials of the water bottles have also been Patented. Unlike Trademarks that may last for ever, the U.S. government only allows a patent to be in forced for a certain amount of time.