LAW 7048 :
Intellectual Property

Note: You do not need a science/engineering degree for this class. Some of the best grades have been earned by students without such a degree. This class is essential for the modern business lawyer. An ever-increasing amount of wealth in the United States is connected to intangible information embedded in products such as software, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, movies, video games, and music. Four bodies of law establish and govern rights with respect to this information: copyright, trade secret, patent, and trademark. Copyrights apply to nearly all creative works, including labels on shampoo bottles, maps, and just about everything found on the internet. Trade secrets can range from manufacturing processes to customer lists. Patents now cover a broad range of products and activities. Trademarks are brand names, corporate logos, product designs, product packaging, and any other symbol that consumers associate with a supplier of goods or services.

This class is a survey of all four areas. This class is a prerequisite for most other intellectual property classes and is therefore strongly recommended for second year students with an interest in this area of law. You do not need a technical background.

Exam Info: Exam administered during exam period.