Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Intellectual Property Law Blogs -> Patent Arcade

Intellectual Property Law

: Patent Arcade

FLASH OF GENIUS: Would a patent attorney be a hero or villain in film?

Villian... I suspect.

Its not every day that we see a video game embrace an attorney as a central character. Normally the attorneys are the ridicule of the game, but one game did just that: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Hollywood, on the other hand, embraces the legal profession almost all too often, whether for ridicule, storytelling, murder, suspense, education, or just plain fun. What Hollywood doesn't do too often is highlight the role that patents play in our society, so it is with some interest that I am awaiting a new film starring Greg Kinnear, Flash of Genius, that tells the story of Robert Kearns' (Kinnear) fight against the auto industry after Mr. Kearns invented the intermittent windshield wiper. I've spoken with people involved on behalf of the auto industry, and suffice it to say that their side of the story comes across as markedly different than I suspect Mr. Kearns' side of it is portrayed in the movie. Nonetheless, it's nice to see Hollywood depicting patent attorneys in film, even if we are most likely the "bad guys" in the movie. Here is some more info from the film's marketing folks. Go and check it out for yourself:

Website

-------------------------------------------------

Synopsis:

Based on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns?s (Greg Kinnear) long battle with the U.S. automobile industry, Flash of Genius tells the tale of one man whose fight to receive recognition for his ingenuity would come at a heavy price. But this determined engineer refused to be silenced, and he took on the corporate titans in a battle that nobody thought he could win.

The Kearns were a typical 1960s Detroit family, trying to live their version of the American Dream. Local university professor Bob married teacher Phyllis (Lauren Graham) and, by their mid-thirties, had six kids who brought them a hectic but satisfying Midwestern existence. When Bob invents a device that would eventually be used by every car in the world, the Kearns think they have struck gold. But their aspirations are dashed after the auto giants who embraced Bob?s creation unceremoniously shunned the man who invented it.

Ignored, threatened and then buried in years of litigation, Bob is haunted by what was done to his family and their future. He becomes a man obsessed with justice and the conviction that his life?s work -- or for that matter, anyone?s work -- be acknowledged by those who stood to benefit. And while paying the toll for refusing to compromise his dignity, this everyday David will try the unthinkable: to bring Goliath to his knees.

-------------------------------------------------

Official Trailer in Mobile, HD, Quicktime and Windows

-------------------------------------------------

Official One-sheet

-------------------------------------------------

Now the only question that remains is this: How do they turn this movie into a video game???

Full post as published by Patent Arcade on September 23, 2008 (boomark / email).