The first time I walked into a Sweetgreen, a fast-casual food chain tailored toward “simple, seasonal, healthy food”,1 I noticed a sign that the business would not accept cash.2 Sweetgreen was the first food chain where I noted the deliberate change in how transactions might be conducted going forward. The sign provided a link for…
Tag: innovation
Is the Patent System to Blame for the Rise and Fall of Theranos?
Elizabeth Holmes wrote her first patent application after her freshman year of college at Stanford University. Her invention was an arm patch that would diagnose and treat medical conditions at the same time.1 The patch was an attempt to pursue her dream of putting her mark on the world by furthering the greater good.2 Holmes…
Fintech Companies and Regulatory Problems
Historically, the financial services industry has been protected from significant market disruption based on new technological innovation.1 Incumbent companies in the industry have a number of economic moats to rely on: “ubiquitous distribution through branches”; “unique expertise such as credit underwriting”; and “the special status of being regulated institutions that supply credit . . ….
I, Lawyer: Is Artificial Intelligence the Attorney of the Future?
It’s no secret that technology is advancing rapidly. Driverless cars have already hit the roads, drones are flying across the sky, and if the latest cell phone isn’t in your pocket right now, it’s probably on your wrist. This era of technological innovation has prompted the rise of artificial intelligence (“AI”), paving the way for…
A bite out of someone’s Apple: What’s at stake with Apple v. Samsung
Last month, for the first time in over one-hundred years, a design patent was front-and-center in a Supreme Court case. The world’s two top smartphone manufacturers, Apple and Samsung, have been battling since 2011 over design patents that cover essential features of their ubiquitous smartphones.1 It started with late Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ vow to…