LAW 696LEC - Intellectual Property

One of the most interesting and growing fields of law is Intellectual Property, the study of legal protection for ideas, phrases, processes, discoveries, inventions, symbols, designs, music, art and literary works. This course provides an introduction to the basic principles of intellectual property law useful for both future litigators and corporate lawyers. For many companies, the IP assets they hold are one of their most valuable and important assets. As such, both general and intellectual property law litigators and corporate lawyers benefit from familiarity with IP law concepts to assist their client. Students will study the basics of trademark law, trade dress, copyright law, patent law, and trade secret law, and time permitting, will also explore other IP-related topics such as IP licensing, computer/internet law, and data privacy law. In the course, students will debate the use of the intellectual property law system and will learn more about the standards for assessing whether IP protection applies. Students will also learn how IP issues are litigated both through the federal administrative process and the federal courts and will debate strategies for dealing with infringement actions and validity challenges. They will also learn about how IP assets are considered in a corporate practice. No scientific background or previous experience in intellectual property is required or necessary.

Credits: 3-4