We are entering an entirely new era with regard to intellectual property when it comes to the Internet of Things. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement when building out cutting edge IoT applications. But as the following article points out, remembering to protect what you own is equally, if not more important. There is not much detail provided in this piece on the actual use case execution, however it shares a valuable perspective to bear in mind throughout the design and development process. While the perspective offered is done through a legal lens, there is a good lesson that can be learned from this real world deployment.
With so many rooftop solar panels and wind turbines adding extra power to California’s energy grid, the state is generating so much electricity at unpredictable times that it has occasionally been forced to pay Arizona to take some off its hands. Otherwise, California would have risked damage to its grid.
“This overgeneration surprised everyone in California because it came so much earlier than everyone expected,” said Dankworth, who is general counsel to startup company MelRok. The boom shows no sign of slowing down, as the state just ordered every new home built after 2020 be solar-equipped.
MelRok chairman Donahue and Dankworth were ready. They’ve created an internet of things platform for measuring energy production and consumption in homes and businesses, enabling it to be distributed more efficiently. The company has adopted an aggressive intellectual property strategy, tapping Knobbe Martens partners Perry Oldham and Karen Lenker to construct its patent portfolio.
