TECHNOLINK ASSOCIATION
MEMBERS MAKING THE
NEWS ð FEBRUARY 2007 NEWSFLASH
Special Announcement:
Member In the News!
Larry
Bloomer proudly Announces:
"Effective January 1, 2007, I started a new company:
R. E. Development Group. Its focus will
be commercial retail acquisitions and their management,
the formation of Limited Liability companies using investor
pools to acquire shopping centers/NNN investments, and
the representation of landlords / tenants.
I encourage retail investment submittals. If you are a
broker and do not represent or control a property you
wish to submit, and I am interested in it, I'll become
your client / principal."
Larry S. Bloomer
President
R.E. Development Group
10801 National Blvd Suite #602
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 474-3666 - Tel
(310) 474-8666 - Fax
bloomer247@regrouponline.com
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Message
from the Editor
While
“Green” seems to be the Vogue Topic discussed
today from newsroom to boardroom, the other hot topic reported
and discussed in current business books, forums and executive
planning sessions is the future face of America’s
Human Capital. At Technolink Association’s Annual
Technology Forecast this past December, our prestigious
Visionary Panelists closed their remarks with the common
theme: Are “we” preparing our Human Capital
to maintain an innovative edge to compete in the global
market place…. As many industry leaders have recently
touted modern journalist and author Tom Friedman’s
book “The World is Flat” as the coming of age
for forward thinking executives in understanding today’s
global competition, the key themes address in the book are:
How do we maintain as a country the status of the “Super
Power” globally, when we are beginning to lose some
of our lead industries and talented people to overseas competition.
What are we doing as Industry Leaders to attract and retain
our greatest economic investments, our Human Capital. Some
large and small corporations have begun developing new opportunities
and “work balance” quality programs and benefits
to attract and retain their workforce. We have recently
seen how executives are addressing the ever-changing needs
of Human Capital by providing new alternatives to typical
work environments, such as flex schedules, webcasts and
hoteling --taking away the stress of over-committed business
travel; other leaders are developing new “work place”
technological tools allowing employees to operate outside
traditional office walls. Though some of these new “work
environment “ tools may not have an immediate effect
on the bottom-line of companies, the short term investment
will have a long-term effect on the economic future of the
enterprise--by retaining the best and brightest…to
maintain an competitive edge globally. Thinking Outside
the Box ….is truly a new trend for Businesses today….
Howard Schultz, Chairman of Starbucks, early on, knew his
mission and success was to be “people“ first;
the next time we take a sip of our Starbucks’, think
how this company went “outside the box” to beat
the economic bears, proving you can build a successful global
enterprise when you value your greatest asset….your
Human Capital… |
Warmest Thoughts:
Ssusan Forte OâNeillÊÊÊ
For more thoughts on this topic please Contact
Ssusan at
Forte Designs fdesigns@intersonnet.com
ð 949.443.4026
EXPANDING
“GREEN” INNOVATIONS GLOBALLY
Many
people around the world are aware of the central role that environmental
issues play in the collective future of the Earth and its inhabitants;
however, their behavior may not habitually demonstrate this understanding.
Technological and legal innovations  are
helping to enable people and organizations to take action in environmentally
sound directions. For example: the GreenScanner system (http://greenscanner.net)
helps people figure out the environmental impact of consumer products
by scanning their UPC codes with a mobile phone; microloan systems
(e.g., http://kiva.org) enable people to fund environmentally
sound small businesses around the world; and new legal interpretations
(e.g., Torrance's "Extinction Bar to Patentability"
in the 2006 Works in Progress Intellectual Property Colloquium
- http://tinyurl.com/2o7lj7 ) help connect the biotechnology patent
process to environmental conservation and research. Combined with
the great number of other environmental efforts being conducted
around the world, these projects are taking important steps toward
environmental conservation and restoration on a global scale.
Dr. Bill Tomlinson, Assistant Professor of Informatics
University of California, Irvine wmt@uci.edu
or http://www.ics.uci.edu/~wmt
In
November, the Supreme Court heard arguments in
KSR International vs Teleflex.
At
issue was the test for what is patentable subject matter.
The Federal Circuit has set forth the test: anyone challenging
a patent must show some evidence that there are prior
teachings, suggestions, or motivations or incentives in
the field that make the challenged item an obvious development
rather than patentable innovation. This test has been
in place and used by the Patent Office and the courts
for more than 25 years and there are thousands of patents
in existence that were issued under that test.
The
hearing was very lively--bordering on raucous at times.
Justice Scalia said the teaching-suggestion- motivation
test of the Federal Circuit was "Three imponderable
nouns", also calling it "gobbledygook".
Chief Justice Roberts called it "Federal Circuit
jargon" that is inflexible and "worse than meaningless".
Justices Bryer and Scalia said that they had read the
briefs many times and still could not understand the test
for motivation. All of this sends a message that the Supreme
Court will probably change if not revoke the current test
for obviousness. If there is a radical change and the
Supreme Court sets forth a new test for patentable subject
matter the results could be very severe. It will make
it harder for start up companies to raise capital to develop
new technologies with big up-front investments. Successful
products protected by patents may be copied forcing the
assertion of the patents to protect the investment. Companies
that feel they are being held up by patent owners may
well have new weapons to use. It will likely lead to more
litigation and greater uncertainty with respect to the
validity of existing patents.
As
Justice Souter suggested, if the test is radically changed,
it may well result in 100,000 cases being filed the next
day. The fundamental debate is not new and hits at the
intersection of two great American values competition
and protection of innovation. Interestingly, the Federal
Circuit's Chief Judge, Paul Michel, defended the current
test and said that the judges on the Federal Circuit are
quite clear on what the current test is and how to apply
it and have done so with flexibility and common sense
since before the Federal Circuit Court was formed in 1982.
We can only wait and see what the Supreme Court does when
it hands down the decision in KSR.
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WHAT
IS A TRUE
PATENTABLE INNOVATION?
Please
Contact:
Billy A. Robbins, Esq. FULBRIGHT & JAWORSKI
L.L.P.
(213) 892-9310
email: brobbins@fulbright.com
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THE
MILKEN INSTITUTE PROUDLY PRESENTS
GLOBAL
CONFERENCE 2007
APRIL 23 - 25, 2007 LOS ANGELES
The Milken Institute Global Conference has become one of the most
significant and talked-about events of its kind. For one week
each April, more than 2,500 of the world's leading decision-makers
gather in Los
Angeles to explore new ways to solve some of our most entrenched
and challenging issues, from reducing our dependence on oil to
ensuring that people everywhere have access to a good education,
quality health care and well-paying jobs.
To Register
www.milkeninstitute.org/gc2007
Milken Institute 1250 Fourth Street • Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: (310) 570-4600 E-mail: info@milkeninstitute.org
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Jet
Propulsion Laboratory Plans to Launch Two New Missions in
2007
Visit:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov |
"Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
(JPL) spacecraft continues to make surprising discoveries
that are covered by both the scientific and popular media,
and the Laboratory is planning to launch two even more exciting
missions in 2007. The Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity
have entered their "twelfth lifetimes," since
they were expected to survive only 3 months, but have been
sending new information continually for over three years.
Spirit continues to study the geology of the summits and
sides of the Columbia Hills in Mars' Gusev Crater, while
Opportunity is driving around the large Victoria Crater
looking for a safe way to enter and leave the crater, which
holds the promise of being able to see much deeper into
Mars' past geological history because of the deeper layers
in the crater. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter went into orbit
around Mars in 2006, and has been able to spot the 1976
Viking landers and both current rovers with its high resolution
camera. JPL spacecraft have also found recent water gullies
on Mars that have occurred within the last few years, proving
that water erosion is an ongoing process on Mars. The Cassini
spacecraft in orbit around Saturn recently discovered water
ice "geysers" on Saturn's moon Enceladus, and
methane lakes (at minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit) on the water
ice surface of Saturn's moon Titan. Recent papers based
on JPL's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)
in orbit around Earth report that the loss of ice from Greenland
and Antarctica due to human-caused climate change is higher
than reported earlier, and is accelerating. This year JPL
expects to launch the Dawn spacecraft in June to study the
Asteroid Vesta and the "minor planet" Ceres, using
solar electric propulsion to get to the bodies and to travel
between them. JPL will also launch the Phoenix spacecraft
to the north pole of Mars in August, to dig into the frozen
ice surface and study its characteristics."
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Shaping
the Workforce of Tomorrow
The importance of Shaping the Workforce of
Tomorrow is much more than just a project for Daryl Pelc,
Chief Engineer of Boeing Global Mobility Systems / Long
Beach Engineering - it is a necessity - as important as
diversifying work content to maintain critical skills or
delivering a new 767 Tanker to Japan. Mr. Pelc actively
advocates his support of mentoring youth in the community
and is on the Board of Directors of Operation Jump Start,
a Long Beach non-profit organization that mentors at risk
youth by encouraging them to continue their education to
become tomorrow’s leaders by providing positive role
models, workshops and activities. In another innovative
community program, Boeing was an active sponsor of the Jan.
20th Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum (TAM) Career Expo
and Tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen at Compton Airport. The
purpose of this event was to provide inspiration to youth
regarding career choices in aeronautical engineering. These
are two of many examples that Daryl and the Boeing Company
help today’s youth become tomorrow’s leaders.
For
more information on The Boeing Company
562.797.2020 • www.boeing.com
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In the 2007-08 Budget, Governor Schwarzenegger
is continuing technology investments with $95 million for
the Strategic Research and Innovation Initiative projects
in key sectors including "clean" technology, biotech
and nanotechnology. To date, $40 million of this investment
has garnered a $500 million grant from BP to establish the
first-ever public-private research lab dedicated to renewable
fuels and clean energy at UC Berkeley. To help address the
shortage of skilled employees in many high-tech industries,
the Governor's Budget proposes $52 million to expand Career
Technical Education (CTE) programs targeting high-growth
sectors and emerging industries. Plus the Governor is boosting
funding to $3.8 million for the UC/CSU California Teach
Initiative to double the number of science and math teachers
trained annually. In addition, the Governor has proposed
a comprehensive reform plan to address our broken healthcare
system and eliminate the hidden tax that every insured Californian
pays to subsidize the uninsured. In 2006, the average California
family paid an extra $1,186 in premiums to cover the uninsured,
and employers who offer health coverage pay an estimated
17 percent higher premiums to offset the cost of uninsured
and under-funding of government health programs. |
INVESTING
IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES
To
learn more news from the State Capitol visit: www.governor.ca.gov
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~
~ THE SHERY LEVIT FOUNDATION ~ ~
“MUSIC
OF THE NIGHT”
SATURDAY, MARCH 24TH, 2007
BARKER HANGER , SANTA MONICA AIRPORT
Special Guests:
Boyz
II Men ~ Brian Mcknight ~ Stephen Stills ~ Bucket Boys
The Shery Levitt Educational Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3)
organization, provides educational opportunities to students
whose lives have taken a tragic turn. Whether it be the
death of a parent, the loss of financial resources or
other misfortunes, the Foundation serves as a lifeline
to these students and families in their time of need.
Through scholarship assistance, the Foundation helps those
students who have suffered such tragedies and who need
financial assistance to stay in school. Shery worked in
the school communities and established special bonds with
certain schools, and it is these schools and their students
that will benefit from the Foundation’s grant program.
For more information contact:
Katja
Snyder, 310-943-3349, kslef@mac.com
The Shery Levitt Educational Foundation
2224 Glendon Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90064
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