1. Go to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office’s Web site (www.uspto.gov) and look up Patent No. 6,004,596. Read the patent. After reading the patent are you more inclined or less inclined to side with the Smucker’s point of view?

2. Type “Uncrustables” into the Google search engine and look at the Uncrustables sandwich. Spend a little time reading about the Uncrustables on Smucker’s Web site. Again, after looking over the Web site, are you more inclined or less inclined to side with the Smucker’s point of view?

3. In regard to the arguments espoused by the “critics” of the U.S. patent system and the “advocates” of the U.S. patent system, with which of the points of view do you agree? Thinking as an entrepreneur, use your own words to state why you think the critics or the advocates have a stronger point of view.

4. After using a search engine to discover how the court ruled, why do you think the court ruled as it did? Use materials in the chapter to explain and justify your thinking.