Intellectual Property

Patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret law are increasingly playing a central role in the economy, in business strategy, in scientific achievement, and in culture as well.  This survey is designed to introduce to students all of these major areas of intellectual property law.  For some students, this will be their only exposure to these fundamental legal rules.  The goal in this respect is to provide enough information that, in practice, students will at least be able to spot intellectual property issues and know where to turn for help.  For others, the material here will be a launching pad for follow-on subject-specific courses and thinking.  No technical background is required.  Students may not concurrently take the copyright or patent stand-alone course, and students who have previously taken one of those stand-alone courses must receive written permission from the instructor prior to enrolling in this course.