National Organizations to Host Free Debate Prep Webinar Series

To prepare high school debate teams for the 2024-25 national debate topic

High school students across the nation will be debating ways of supporting America’s innovators starting this fall. This important issue has been chosen as the national high school debate topic for the 2024-2025 school year. Students must prepare to argue both sides of this resolution:

Resolved: The United States federal government should significantly strengthen its protection of domestic intellectual property (IP) rights in copyrights, patents, and/or trademarks.

Several organizations are helping young debaters lean into this complex topic by hosting free webinars to provide valuable information to help teams advance their knowledge of the subject. Organizations hosting the series include The Lemelson-MIT Program (LMIT), Advancing Diversity Across Patent Teams (ADAPT), the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation (IPOEF), the US Intellectual Property Alliance (USIPA), Invent Together, Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU), The Michelson Institute for Intellectual Property, LexisNexis, and others. By joining forces, these groups will be working to ensure that all students have access to research tools, specialized knowledge, and a wide range of perspectives in relation to the protection of people’s creations.

Speakers will include IP attorneys and professionals, innovators, creators, and funders who will provide information on the pros and cons regarding changes to the existing patent, copyright, and trademark systems. In addition, individualized coaching will be provided for teams that register in advance.

“Intellectual property (IP) ownership is a path to prosperity that few people know about. This year’s debates will help more people realize that anyone can create intellectual property, protect their good ideas, and earn a living while making a difference in the world”, said Dr. Stephanie Couch, Executive Director of the Lemelson-MIT Program. “We also hope that students’ engagement with IP professionals will get them thinking about IP law as a career path,” she added.

The subjects, times, and locations of the webinars are:

1: Orientation on the intellectual property system

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

5:00PM to 6:15PM PT; 8:00PM to 9:15PM ET

2. Hot topics regarding U.S. IP laws & careers in IP


Thursday, October 24, 2024

5:30PM to 7:30PM PT; 8:30PM to 10:30PM ET

3. Deep dive into arguments for/against strengthening the US intellectual property protection; Includes individualized coaching and Q&A for teams who pre-register

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

5:00PM to 6:15PM PT; 8:00PM to 9:15PM ET

To register for the webinars, visit: https://lemelson.mit.edu/DebatePrep

According to Kwodwo Moore, Senior Program Specialist at the Silicon Valley Urban Debate League, “Intellectual property is a topic many students are familiar with, but don't fully understand. Most of our students use social media to watch and share content online, and some of them are even creatives in their own right! This topic will provide them an opportunity to learn and debate about ways our current intellectual property laws sometimes promote ingenuity and creativity - and sometimes stifle and discourage those very same impulses.” Moore adds, “The opportunity to partner with these organizations will give our students (some of whom will be the first in their family to go to college) access to the wealth of knowledge and expertise within the world of IP. I am excited for this upcoming topic in a way I haven't been before.”

About the Lemelson-MIT Program:

The Lemelson-MIT Program (LMIT) is a national leader in efforts to prepare the next generation of inventors and entrepreneurs. Our work focuses on the expansion of opportunities for people to discover their pathway into becoming an inventor and solve crucial problems to help improve lives. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion aims to remedy historic inequities among those who develop inventions, protect their intellectual property by securing patents and commercialize their creations.

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