Intellectual Property Assignments, Spring 2024

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ASSIGNMENTS (SPRING 2024)

WEEK 1 – JAN. 8 & 10

MONDAY, JAN. 8 (class 1): Intro to IP

  • Note: today’s assignment was rescheduled to Jan. 10 per email notification

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 10 (class 1): Intro to IP

  • Discussion leader: Professor
  • The syllabus and initial assignments will be posted shortly. The casebook is available for $30 at this link (electronic), or for $74 on Amazon at this link (print). If you cannot afford to purchase it, you can get a freeride copy of the electronic casebook (bottom of purchase page for the electronic book). You are not required to have a printed casebook, so I urge you to obtain the copy that you believe will work best for you.
  • The assignment for today, is pages 1-28 of the casebook.

WEEK 2 – JAN. 15 & 17

MONDAY, JAN. 15 (no class): MLK Day

  • No classes, MLK Day

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 17 (class 2): Patents: Intro, reading a patent

  • Discussion leader: Professor
  • CB 129-152. Be sure to read OXO patent carefully.
  • Do this (note that the OXO patent can be found in either the casebook or via the link provided).
  • Re TPQs and class leaders/discussants:
    • For today, everybody should upload at least one (1) TPQ (thought-provoking question) to the Canvas site at this link. Tie the question to today’s readings and exercise. I would like to give you feedback so you should upload your TPQ at least 24 hours prior to the beginning of the 1/17 class.
    • Starting with class # 3 (that’ll be the class after this class), I will assign each person a different day to be TPQ leader. For your assigned day, you will need to upload at least 2-3 TPQs to this link. If you know of any days this semester you’ll be absent please email me prior to today’s class so I know not to schedule you for a conflicted day. However, once you are assigned a day it is your responsibility to be there and to lead. Should something come up, it is your responsibility to find a classmate to swap with (and please notify us both via email).
    • Here are some tips on drafting TPQs:
      • Don’t ask a vague question or one vaguely connected to the readings; instead, tie your questions into today’s readings, so give some real thought to this. That means, don’t do the readings at the last minute, either. Starting next week, each of you will serve as TPQ leaders and will be doing this as part of your Leader class participation score.
      • Examples of good TPQs are:
        • Original hypos you create based on the readings.
        • Examples taken from current events, current disputes, or something interesting that sheds light on the readings.
        • Questions that challenge the policies or theoretical foundations underlying IP rules.
        • Questions that show unintended or undesirable consequences of IP rules.
      • Examples of bad TPQs are:
        • What did the court decide?
        • What is the rule?
        • What do you think about what the court did, said, etc.?
        • Do you agree with the requirement of novelty?

WEEK 3 and beyond

Below is a grid of tentative assignments for the remainder of the semester. We have one class we can make up, which we will probably make up for an IP Palooza event in March and/or a review session towards the end of semester.

The dates and assignments below are tentative; the listing does not yet include dates of papers/projects.

Day

Date

Class #

Assignment

Wed

1/10

1

See above

Wed

1/17

2

See above

Mon

1/22

3

Patents: claim construction, written disclosure

  • TPQ Leader: Professor
  • CB 152-170
    Section 112 of Patent Act, 35 USC 112
  • Look up patents in cases

Wed

1/24

4

Patents: subject matter, exclusions

  • TPQ Leader: Randy
  • CB 170-195
  • Sections 100, 101 of Patent Act, 35 USC 100, 101

Mon

1/29

5

Patents: Utility, Novelty

  • TPQ Leader: Professor
  • CB 195-219
  • Section 102 of the patent Act (old and new)

Wed

1/31

6

Patents: Novelty, Prior Art

  • TPQ Leader: Professor
  • CB 219-237

Mon

2/5

7

Patents: Nonobviousness

  • TPQ Leader: Professor
  • CB 237-265
  • Section 103 of Patent Act (old and new)

Wed

2/7

8

Patents: Infringement

  • TPQ Leader: Professor
  • CB 265-295
  • Section 271 of Patent Act

Mon

2/12

9

Patents: Design patents

  • TPQ Leader: Professor
  • CB 295-320

Wed

2/14

10

Trade Secrets

  • TPQ Leader: Maxwell
  • CB 29-61

Mon

2/19

NA

NA, no class, Presidents Day

Tue

2/20

11

Trade Secrets

  • Monday classes, even though it’s a Tuesday
  • TPQ Leader: Alexander
  • CB 62-94

Wed

2/21

12

Trade Secrets

  • TPQ Leader: Paige
  • CB 94-128

Mon

2/26

13

Copyright: Subject matter; Limitations (Idea-Expression)

  • TPQ Leader: Manoela
  • CB 321-346
  • Sections 101, 102 of Copyright Act, 17 USC 101, 102

Wed

2/28

14

Copyright: Limitations (Useful Articles, Software)

  • TPQ Leader: Olivia
  • CB 346-368

Mon

3/4

NA

NA, Spring break

Wed

3/6

NA

NA, Spring break

Mon

3/11

15

Copyright: Ownership, Registration, Duration

  • TPQ Leader: Michael P.
  • CB 368-390
  • Statutes TBA

Wed

3/13

NA

NA, Friday class schedule

Mon

3/18

16

Copyright: Exclusive rights; infringement

  • TPQ Leader: Rick
  • CB 390-423
  • Sections 106, 106A, 501, 412 of Copyright Act, 17 USC (see sections)

Wed

3/20

17

Copyright: Fair use

  • TPQ Leader: Joseph
  • CB 423-456
  • Section 107 of Copyright Act, 17 USC 107

Mon

3/25

18

Copyright: Fair use, Direct liability

  • TPQ Leader: Michael D.
  • CB 456-481

Wed

3/27

19

Copyright: Secondary liability

  • TPQ Leader: Aloni
  • CB 481-509
  • 35 USC 271B and C; skim 15 USC 512

Thu

3/28

NA

NA, Easter Break

Fri

3/29

NA

NA, Easter Break

Mon

4/1

20

Trademarks: Subject matter, Registration

  • TPQ Leader: Lenin
  • CB 511-539

Wed

4/3

21

Trademarks: Device marks, trade dress

  • TPQ Leader Professor
  • CB 539-568

Mon

4/8

22

Trademarks: Infringement

  • TPQ Leader: Sophia
  • CB 568-600

Wed

4/10

23

Trademarks: Cybersquatting, Dilution

  • TPQ Leader: Cydnei
  • CB 601-639
  • 15 USC 1125(c), (d)

Mon

4/15

24

Trademarks: Fair Use and other defenses

  • TPQ leader: Michael L.
  • CB 639-672

Wed

4/17

25

IP Limits: Preemption

  • TPQ Leader: Mikella
  • CB 673-702

Mon

4/22

26

IP Limits: First sale

  • TPQ Leader: Mikella
  • CB 702-732
  • 17 USC 109(a), (c), (d)

Wed

4/24

27

IP Remedies

  • TPQ Leader: Professor
  • CB 733-751

Revised Feb. 13, 2024