Intellectual Property 101 – Understanding your Assets and How to Protect Them
Speaker: Suzanne B. Sjovold, LLB, Ph.D.
This introductory intellectual property (IP) seminar will cover the fundamentals of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and industrial designs. Trainees will learn to identify different forms of IP, understand their legal protections, and explore their strategic importance in business. By the end of the session, trainees will be able to apply basic IP principles to know the difference between a patent and a trademark, how best to protect their copyright, and when to keep a trade secret.
Biography:
Suzanne combines her technical background in Neuroscience with 15 years of Intellectual Property experience to effectively develop and manage her clients’ IP assets.
As a registered patent and trademark agent, Suzanne provides clients with legal opinions on patentability, trademark registration, freedom-to-operate, due diligence analysis, and IP portfolio management. Suzanne’s clients include a broad range of early-stage and established companies and post-secondary institutions.
Suzanne grew up in Lethbridge and attended the University of Lethbridge, earning a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience. After completing her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Alberta, Suzanne attended law school at the U of A with an aim to practice intellectual property, bridging the gap between the scientific and legal spheres.