Cameron B. Pick is a partner at Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP in Chicago, Il. Cameron prosecutes domestic and foreign patents for emerging technologies across a wide range of industries, with a particular focus on electrical and software engineering. He can be reached at (312) 474-9565 or cpick@marshallip.com
What was your journey like to get where you are?
I’m a patent attorney who drafts patent applications for electrical and computer-related technologies. Around 2012, I started to hear about Bitcoin but did not think anything of it. Then by late 2016/early 2017, I started working on several patents related to blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. This got me really excited about the industry and I started to do a lot of my own research into these topics. I became an investor and crypto enthusiast and even started a blog to describe the differences between different cryptocurrencies. Around the same time, I was also very interested in virtual reality and have been using an Oculus headset for the last several years. When I first started to hear about the metaverse and NFTs for digital assets in the metaverse, I became very intrigued as this is a blend of two of my favorite technical interests. This led me to look into Decentraland, Sandbox, and Wilder World. I was extremely enthused about the enormous possibilities of these virtual worlds and began counseling clients about IP issues related to the metaverse shortly after.
In a simpler phrase, what is your company exactly doing?
When it comes to the metaverse, our firm is assisting on several fronts. First, we are drafting patent applications related to VR and AR technology for various types of virtual worlds. Second, we are helping companies obtain trademarks for brand protection of metaverse equivalents of their real-world’s goods and services. We are also counseling clients on how to prepare for Web3 and the metaverse and position themselves as leaders in Web3 adoption. For example, we are counseling clients regarding NFTs which may be used to prove ownership of digital assets in the metaverse. We are also counseling clients regarding ENS domain names (e.g., .eth names) which may eventually become as significant for sending payments as Internet domain names are for reaching web addresses.
What about Metaverse are you most excited for in the future?
I am excited for people to meet and collaborate all over the world from their own homes in a way that feels like they are meeting face-to-face with each other. A zoom is a great tool, but it has its limits. I’m excited for the metaverse to expand on our current meeting infrastructure to allow people to have experiences together in an almost indistinguishable manner from real-world experiences. This can include business meetings, hanging out with friends, going to sporting events, having a beer, going out to dinner, or any number of things. Along the same lines, I’m also excited for touch, taste, and/or smell to come to VR to further enhance these experiences and blur the lines between physical and virtual reality.
Why should we be paying attention to the Metaverse?
We should pay attention to the metaverse because some of the largest companies in the world are investing substantial amounts in this technology. This is a sign to me that some of the best and brightest minds in the world are working on and believe in the future of the metaverse. We should also be paying attention to the metaverse because at this early stage there are a few directions it can go. Many people envision the metaverse as a free and open world or set of worlds where anyone can participate, claim ownership of their digital assets, and use their digital assets in multiple virtual worlds. In this version of the metaverse, everyone has a fair opportunity to obtain digital assets and control their private data. However, it’s possible that the metaverse can include several closed worlds where only a few companies maintain control of the metaverse and all of the digital assets in it. These companies could use the metaverse to further their goals of profiting off of users’ data and online habits. it is important that all of us pay attention to the metaverse so that it ends up more like the former than the latter.
