Patent Law

3 units

This course provides an introduction to patent law--the branch of intellectual property law that provides incentives for technological innovation. It focuses on both inventors’ efforts to obtain patent rights and patent owners’ efforts to enforce patent rights. It also highlights the policy concerns that justify and shape patent law. This course is a gateway course for the upper-level patent-law electives, but it is intentionally designed to be accessible to all students. A technical background is NOT a requirement for the course. The basic knowledge of patent law conveyed in this course is valuable for all students who plan to practice general litigation or transactional law. The final exam is an in-school exam.