Basics of Innovation - By Moazzam Kapde

Hey! I am Moazzam. An enthusiastic Electrical R&D Engineer-cum-Innovator by profession. I do have multiple prov. Patent Applications filed on my name. So I thought why not let's have a discussion about the field of Innovation.

So without wasting your time let's directly jump to the topic of Innovation.

An Innovation is nothing but a Non-Obvious Solution of a particular problem to the master of its field.

In simple words if I have to explain it then I could say, a unique solution to the problem you are either facing, solving, observing or wanted to work in is called as innovation.

I know at some point of time you also must got confused between Invention and Innovation, right!

So, let me help you in this case with a simplest example of a car/automobile.

• Invention is a solution you/any scientist proposed for the very first time to a particular problem in order to solve or to achieve a desirable output. With a slight intention to do something Novel.

In 1885 Carl Benz has presented first ever practical automobile in front of the world.

In above image you can see Carl Benz with his "Benz Patent Motorwagen". So here, we can call sir Carl Benz an Inventor of automobile. because before this there was no concept of successfully working automobile in the market.

• Similarly, innovation is a solution you/any scientist proposed for the second or further next time for the need to do modification in the existing product or technology either to increase its efficiency, make it more reliable, reduce it cost or for anything else.

The modern cars with updated design and features are available in market.

Thus all of the modern cars with updated design and features are consider as an innovation for the invention of Carl Benz automobile vehicle.

Note: That Car example was just one basic example of Invention vs Innovation. Once you look around you, you will see a lot of examples from day-to-day life activities.

Hope you've got a little bit of clarity. Nowadays you hardly find any inventor. As we all are doing only the innovations on existing products and technologies.

Now, you must be thinking that anyone can do innovation if he/she add some new features or remove some lacunas from existing one and become innovator, right!

Sorry to say but this is not how it work.

As I mentioned earlier Innovation is the solution you provide to the existing problem which is unique or non-obvious to the master of its field.

• E.g. if you wanted to solve some problem from Bio-medical field then the solution you provide might not necessary have to be unique for others but it must be unique/non-obvious for one of the best in class Bio-medical individual.
• Similarly there is a serious Prior-Art-Search will take place before calling your Idea an Innovation.

Note: Prior-Art-Search is an activity which we have to do before considering our ideas as Innovation. It shows the uniqueness and gives idea about who else is have previously work on similar problem and hence help authorities understand how our solution is different than existing ones.

Hope I am making sense now!

Well, as you understood about innovation; now there are several rights which helps you protect your innovation. These rights are called as IPR or Intellectual Property Rights.

There are several sub-domains into IPR like copyright, trademark, trade secret and Patent etc. We can have a whole day of discussion about it but for time being get a basic idea about them.

Types of IPR:

? Copyrights (Literary & Artistic Work e.g. A film, Song, Book, Poetry, Music, App etc. can be protected under this category). You must have heard about copyright on music or video on YouTube. That's the same thing.

? Trademark (Slogans, Phrase, Logo, Shape etc. can be protected under this category) e.g. McDonald’s: I’m lovin’ it. is their trademark and no one else can use it.

? Trade Secret (A Formula, Process, Design, Instruments etc. can be protected under this category). E.g. A Coca-Cola's Signature drink or A Google Algorithm or some top organization's Private client list etc.

? Patents (Right for Invention or Innovation). All of your ideas/Innovation can be protected under this category.

Patents are further of 3 types:

A.?????Design Patent (it's related to how your solution is different/ unique in terms of design or its feel or its appearance than the existing ones)

B.?????Utility Patent (it's related to how your solution is different/ unique in terms of it's functionality or Application than the existing one)

C. Plant Patent (Its for the unique plants or a new species of plant)

Well that's a little bit about a basics of Innovation.

Note: Will soon publish either a full article or couple of small ones covering the whole journey of Innovation including Problem finding, idea generation, Prior-Art search, solution designing, prototyping & model making, Filing your own provisional Patent Application by yourself, approaching a company for licensing, Global idea auction and many more.

Stay tune for more. If you have any concern or wanted to know more about Innovation you are always welcome to connect. Similarly let me know about this basic article and what else you wanted to know about Innovation, patent and all. I'll see you soon

Can connect me on:

• Mail: [email protected]
• LinkedIn profile: www.dhirubhai.net/in/moazzam-kapde
• Instagram: moazzam-the-local-scientist (https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=1s9sjh52lygs6&utm_content=2je4mpk)