General Course Descriptions for Terms: Intro to Intellectual Property
753 - Intro to Intellectual Property
Intellectual property rights are foundational to every major area of cultural, scientific, and economic activity. Over the course of the semester, we will deal with disputes with subject matters ranging from John Deere tractors, to the artist formerly known as Prince, to Barbie parodies, and we will discuss policy issues including access to lifesaving medicine and the conflicts that arise between IP rights and free speech. This course is appropriate for those pursuing a career in IP as well as those seeking a baseline understanding of IP to carry into other practice areas. We will investigate trade secret, patent, copyright, and trademark law on their own terms and in relation to each other. We will pay particular attention to legal challenges made salient by social and technological change, including the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. This course is appropriate for all students regardless of their prior experience with intellectual property. A STEM background is not required to succeed in the course (or most areas of IP practice!).