Kathryn Hester Featured in Article on Entrepreneurial Opportunities
Kathryn Hester, Ph.D., a patent agent at Dunlap Codding is featured in the April 3, 2011, issue of The Oklahoman in an article by Paula Burkes, “Entrepreneurial Opportunities Lure Aspiring Doctors, Chemists from Research to Startups.”
Kathryn used her doctorate in biochemistry and microbiology to become a patent agent, after passing the patent bar exam. She said, “to correctly write patent applications, you need to understand the invention to be able to critique and analyze it.” Hester meets with inventors, writes applications and reviews invention disclosures. As she told The Oklahoman, the process of obtaining a patent application involves the preparation and submission of a patent application to the Patent Office, followed by “prosecution” of the application. Prosecution essentially involves arguing back and forth with the Patent Office on why the applicant believes the invention is novel and non-obvious (i.e., involves an inventive step) over what’s previously been published, patented or otherwise disclosed. Typically the biggest hurdle in obtaining a patent is arguing the non-obviousness of the inventive concept, as it can be very subjective.
The article profiles other inventors and scientists, including Dunlap Codding clients, who have started companies or otherwise used their degrees outside the realm of research and academia.