Patent Licensing & Enforcement

SLN #: 72572
Course Prefix: LAW-791
Course Section: 009
Credit Hours: 3
Instructor(s): Lisa;Kappes;Curtin
Course Books: View List of Books

Course Description:
More than one hundred thousand patents issue every year. Hundreds of millions of dollars pass hands annually through patent licenses and awards. The vast majority of those patents and awards are the result of individual inventors and start-up companies. Thus, patent disputes involving valuable technology frequently involve small entities. However, the typical cost to enforce a patent can eclipse three million dollars, and if the patent involves fundamental technology, can reach ten million dollars. Presently, patent owners large and small are finding the enforcement environment difficult. As a result, only a small percentage of patents survive the financial, legal and political obstacles to a successful enforcement program. Although the creation of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) has done much to address problems such as forum shopping and inconsistent legal standards, the patent enforcement environment remains thorny and continues to evolve. This course is designed to teach the students the skills necessary to recognize the characteristics of a valuable and enforceable patent. Once those characteristics are recognized, the course will address from a practical perspective, how to structure an effective patent prosecution, licensing and enforcement program, as well as how to defend such programs. This is a hands-on course taught by patent litigation lawyers who have successfully represented a variety of patent owners in enforcement programs. The course will also teach and make use of a variety of valuable software research and collaboration tools.

GRADING: This course will meet once a week on campus for 2 hours and online for a 30-minute, online/telephone meeting, for a total of 3 hours per week. Teams of 2-4 students will be formed to present in class an evaluation of a potential patent licensing and litigation model, and an enforceable patent application. Patent Bar eligibility is not required. The course is graded pass/fail.

Additional Information:
Credit Hours: 3
Grading Option: Pass/Fail Only
Graduation Writing Requirement: No
Flexible/Upper-Level Writing Requirement: No
Skills Requirement: No
Simulation Course: No
Experiential Learning: No
Seminar: No
Special Withdrawal Course: No
Limited Enrollment Number: 15
Final Exam Given: No
Paper Or In-Class Presentation: Yes
Attendance Policy: Per Statement Of Student Policies

* The law school has a policy that is used to calculate credit hours. Please see the Statement of Student Policies.