IP Overview Summer 2015 assignments (former)

Course syllabus, available here.
Chart comparing main areas of federal IP protection
Copyright readings in McJohn E&E:
- 1-5 (intro to main areas of IP)
- 9-25, 48-59 (subject matter of copyright)
- 69-73 (excluded subject matter)
- 109-19, 157-59 (ownership, duration)
- 161-66, 168-76, 194-213 (infringement, exclusive rights, defenses)
Copyright statutes, available below or in statutory supplement:
- 17 U.S.C. § 102
- 17 U.S.C. § 106
- 17 U.S.C. § 107
- 17 U.S.C. § 109(a)
- In class I will also point to relevant provisions of 17 U.S.C. § 101 (copyright definitions)
Explore: go to the Copyright Office website at http://www.copyright.gov. Explore. See how you can search registrations, file applications for registration, and find information of interest. Note the existence of helpful Circulars.

We will start with a short quiz on the first two weeks’ readings. We will then finish any remaining copyright materials.
Patent readings in McJohn E&E:
- 233-61 (subject matter, exclusions)
- 263-71, 282-85, 290-300 (novelty, nonobviousness)
- 327-45 (infringement)
Patent statutes, available below or in statutory supplement:
Explore: here are two interesting patents. Look through them. Using the readings, figure out what is claimed. What types of patents are they? Products or processes? Do you believe them to claim patentable subject matter? Are they novel, non-obvious, and useful? Why or why not?
- I will note this one briefly in class: Method of exercising a cat (5,443,036)
- We will do an exercise in class, so read this one and try to understand it: Coffee or tea filtering press (7,849,784)
- Not required but fun to look at: Musical instrument support (4,656,917 Eddie Van Halen)

We will start with a short quiz on today’s new readings. We will then finish any remaining patent materials.
Trademark readings in McJohn E&E:
- 365-77 (subject matter)
- 385-414 (spectrum of marks, unprotectable symbols)
- 415-23, 431-40 (searching, acquisition, priority, assignment, loss of rights)
- 441-62 (infringement)
- 471-75 (dilution)
Trademark statutes, available below or in statutory supplement:
- 15 U.S.C. § 1052 (Lanham Act § 2)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1114 (Lanham Act § 33)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1125 (Lanham Act § 43)
- In class I will also point to relevant provisions of 15 U.S.C. § 1127 (Lanham Act § 45) (trademark definitions)
Explore: Go to the Trademark Office website and:
- Find a trademark. Click here and then click on the link for the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS). Use the Basic Word Mark Search and find a famous trademark that you know of.
- Invent a trademark. Create a trademark and goods and then use TESS to search for it. Has somebody already filed an application for your trademark?

6/19: assignment revised.
~~We will start with a short quiz on today’s new readings.~~
We will finish the remaining trademark materials. We will also further explore last week’s experiential project (trademark searching) as part of our discussions.
State-law IP readings in McJohn E&E:
- 481-500 (trade secret subject matter)
- ~~501-11, 513-23 (trade secret reasonable security measures, public disclosure)~~
- ~~525-32, 535-41 (trade secret misappropriation)~~
- 553-58 (right of publicity)
State-law IP statutes:
- Read them, and we will discuss in class.
- Florida’s Uniform Trade Secrets Act, Florida Stat. Ann. §§ 688.001 to 688.009
- Florida’s Right of Publicity statute, Florida Stat. Ann. § 540.08

Final examination, in class.
Examination will be open book for printed materials only (You cannot access anything on your laptop besides essay answers, as limited by ExamSoft or similar STU-assigned examination software).
I would suggest that you bring, at a minimum, the following paper or printed materials:
- McJohn’s E&E
- Any statutes that have been assigned
- Your notes
- Your outline
- Any handouts I have given you or that you found on the course website
You may bring other materials as well, so long as they are in paper or printed form.

Revised June 19, 2015