Academic course · Grades 9–12
Intellectual Property
For future entrepreneurs, creators and developers. Students learn how patents, trademarks and copyright work, how to avoid plagiarism, and how to protect their own work without infringing on anyone else’s. Every idea is applied to something the student made or wants to make.
- 4 weeks
- 1 live class a week
- 1.5–2 hours
- Canvas modules
- Graded with feedback
- $350 / month
The toolkit
Four kinds of protection
Each one protects something different. Knowing which is which is the first skill every creator needs.
Patents
Protect new, useful inventions and processes, like a new kind of game controller.
Trademarks
Protect the names, logos and slogans that identify a brand, like a studio name.
Copyright
Protects original creative work: code, art, music, writing and video.
Plagiarism and credit
An ethics question as much as a legal one: how to give credit and ask permission.
Licenses and fair use
Creative Commons, open-source licenses, fair use, and how current guidance treats AI-generated work.
Week by week
Four weeks, one live class each week
Between classes, sequenced Canvas modules hold short cases and a reflection, graded with written feedback. The final IP plan belongs to the student.
- Week 1
Ideas and inventions
What intellectual property is, why it exists, how patents work and what can be patented.
- Week 2
Brands and trademarks
Names, logos and slogans, how brands are protected, and choosing a name that is truly yours.
- Week 3
Copyright and plagiarism
Who owns creative work, licenses, fair use, AI-generated content and proper credit.
- Week 4
Protect your work
Each student builds an IP plan for a real or imagined project and presents it to the group.
Who it is for
A good fit if…
- Students in grades 9–12 who code, design, write, make music or plan to start a business
- Junior Game Developers Studio Founders ready for a next step
- Students who want to use other people’s work honestly and protect their own
Before class
What you need
- A computer with a camera and microphone
- A reliable internet connection
- Canvas access, set up by Quantum Montessori after enrollment
- A project of their own, real or imagined, to work with
The Montessori way
Adolescents learn best when the work is real. Every concept is applied to something the student created, and the capstone plan is theirs to keep. Discussions also practice the courtesy of creative communities: crediting others, asking permission and respecting other people’s work.
Questions families ask
Good to know
Is this legal advice?
No. This is an educational course. For a specific patent, trademark or copyright matter, families should consult a licensed attorney.
Does my student need a business or invention already?
No. A real project or an imagined one works equally well.
Will you cover AI tools?
Yes. We look at what current rules and guidance say about AI-generated work and how to credit AI tools honestly.
Will students file a patent or trademark?
No. Students learn how the process works. Filing is a decision for families, usually with professional advice.
How does Family Investment work?
Family Investment is billed monthly. Your first month is paid at enrollment, and we confirm your learner’s group, start date and Canvas access by email.
Enroll
Reserve a seat in Intellectual Property
Small groups fill quickly. Tell us about your learner, then pay your first month at our secure checkout.
Family Investment
$350/ month
Your first month is paid at enrollment through our secure Stripe checkout. We confirm your learner's group, start date and Canvas access by email.
Questions
Ask about this class
Your message goes straight to the team for Intellectual Property. We usually reply within one school day.
