Intellectual Property Law Track
See also Intellectual Property
Law Sequence below.
The Intellectual Property Law Track is designed
for students who intend to practice in the fields
of patent, copyright, and trademark law. Approximately
one-third of the 84 credit hours required for graduation
must be in intellectual property law courses. The
remaining two-thirds of the credit hours are in courses
outside intellectual property law, ensuring students
substantial breadth in their professional training.
Note: See related information about the Intellectual
Property Program
The course requirements for the Intellectual Property
Law Track are as follows:
- 45 credit hours in required General Law Program
courses (including Professional Responsibility)
- 19 credit hours in required intellectual property
law courses
- 10 credit hours in other required courses (i.e.,
Antitrust, Business Associations, and Evidence
and Trial Procedure)
- 5 credit hours in elective intellectual property
law courses
- 5 credit hours in elective courses
Selected Course Descriptions
Patent Law I provides an introduction to
the basic principles of the law of patents in the
United States. Covers the history, origin and function
of the patent system; the nature of patents as property
and as legal instruments; comparisons with other
forms of intellectual property; subject matter eligible
for patenting; the conditions for patentability of
an invention; and the disclosure requirements for
a patent application.
Patent Law II is a continuation of Patent
Law I. This course focuses on the meaning and function
of patent claims as property definitions; patent
prosecution, including conduct giving rise to the
unenforceability of a patent; post-grant procedures;
infringement of a patent, including claim interpretation
and acts giving rise to infringement; equitable defenses
to a charge of infringement; remedies; patent enforcement;
and patent misuse. Prerequisite: Patent Law I.
Patent and Know-How Licensing covers the
business and legal criteria necessary to implement
and maintain successful patent licensing programs.
Subject areas covered are business objectives in
licensing; rights and duties of license parties;
determining and negotiating the terms and clauses
of the contract; administering and enforcing the
license; antitrust and misuse constraints on the
business and law of licensing; and special problems
in trade secrets, know-how, and show-how contracts. Prerequisite:
Patent Law I.
Patent Infringement Law builds upon the basic
course in patent law by studying in depth the fundamental
principles of patent infringement; rules of claim
construction; acts amounting to direct infringement
(literal and under the doctrine of equivalents),
inducing infringement, and contributory infringement;
and prosecution history estoppels.
Patent Litigation and Dispute Resolution builds
upon the basic required course in Civil Procedure
by teaching the procedure, tactics, and options common
to most patent litigation. The role of preliminary
injunctions is covered in detail. The course focuses
primarily on strategy considerations.
Patent Writing Theory and Practice applies
principles learned in earlier patent law courses
to the writing of applications for patents to accord
them their maximum legal effect. The readability
of patents by lay judges and jurors is also stressed.
Copyright Law covers the basics of copyright
law, including determinations of what is copyrightable,
formalities for obtaining protection, and copyright
registration practices and procedures. The substantive
and procedural elements of infringement actions are
examined, including defenses. Technological developments
affecting copyright are also addressed, including
issues related to computer software and the Internet.
Trademark Law covers procedural and substantive
law in obtaining trademark registrations in the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office and enforcement and licensing
of federal and state registrations after they are
obtained.
Trade Secrets Law considers the law and theory
applicable to protection of confidential business
information ranging from computer programs and manufacturing
processes to customer lists. Covers reverse engineering
of products; invention/idea submissions from employees
and outsiders; employment agreements; consultant
agreements; considerations regarding drafting of
agreements; remedies; defenses; misappropriation;
trade secret-defeating publications versus patent-defeating
publications; implied and express duties of confidentiality;
trial tactics; use of trade secret clauses to effect
non-complete agreements; the inevitable disclosure
doctrine; Federal Economic Espionage Act of 1996;
and various public policy considerations associated
with the foregoing. The procedures and requirements
for preserving trade secret protection for confidential
business information are reviewed. The economics
of trade secret law is considered relative to other
types of protection such as patents and copyrights.
Schedules for the Intellectual Property Law Track
Note: The following schedules are illustrative of
the general order in which students should take the
Intellectual Property Law Track courses. Some courses
might not be offered during the semesters indicated
in these schedules, so be sure to check with the
Records Office for a current schedule of courses.
|
Day Division
|
|
|
Evening Division
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| First Year - Fall |
|
|
First Year - Fall |
|
| Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis
I |
2
|
|
Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis
I |
2
|
| Torts I |
3
|
|
Torts I |
3
|
| Contracts I |
3
|
|
Contracts I |
3
|
| Property |
4
|
|
Economic Foundations of Legal Studies |
3
|
| Economic Foundations of Legal Studies |
3
|
|
|
|
| Total |
15
|
|
Total |
11
|
|
|
|
|
|
| First Year - Spring |
|
|
First Year - Spring |
|
| Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis
II |
2
|
|
Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis
II |
2
|
| Torts II |
3
|
|
Torts II |
3
|
| Contracts II |
3
|
|
Contracts II |
3
|
| Civil Procedure |
4
|
|
Civil Procedure |
4
|
| Criminal Law |
3
|
|
|
|
| Total |
15
|
|
Total |
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Second Year - Fall |
|
|
Second Year - Fall |
|
| Appellate Writing (LRWA III) |
2
|
|
Appellate Writing (LRWA III) |
2
|
| Constitutional Law |
4
|
|
Constitutional Law |
4
|
| Trademark Law |
3
|
|
Property |
4
|
| Patent Law I |
2
|
|
Patent Law I |
2
|
| Total |
11
|
|
Total |
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Second Year - Spring |
|
|
Second Year - Spring |
|
| Legal Drafting (LRWA IV) |
2
|
|
Legal Drafting (LRWA IV) |
2
|
| Administrative Law |
3
|
|
Administrative Law |
3
|
| Patent Law II |
2
|
|
Criminal Law |
3
|
| Legal and Economic Theory of Intellectual
Property Seminar |
2
|
|
Patent Law II |
2
|
| Copyright Law |
3
|
|
Constitutional Law II* |
2
|
| Constitutional Law II* |
2
|
|
Total |
12
|
| Total |
14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Third Year - Fall |
|
|
Third Year - Fall |
|
| Evidence and Trial Procedure |
3
|
|
Business Associations |
4
|
| Business Associations |
4
|
|
Evidence and Trial Procedure |
3
|
| Patent and Know-how Licensing Seminar |
2
|
|
Trademark Law |
3
|
| Professional Responsibility |
2
|
|
|
|
| Total |
11
|
|
Total |
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Third Year - Spring |
|
|
Third Year - Spring |
|
| Antitrust |
3
|
|
Copyright Law |
3
|
| Trade Secrets Law |
1
|
|
|
2
|
| Patent Litigation and Dispute Resolution |
2
|
|
Legal and Economic Theory of Intellectual
Property Seminar |
2
|
| International Protection of Intellectual
Property |
2
|
|
Trade Secrets Law |
1
|
| |
|
|
Antitrust |
3
|
| Total |
8
|
|
Total |
11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fourth Year - Fall |
|
|
|
|
Professional Responsibility |
2
|
| |
|
|
Patent and Know-how Licensing Seminar |
2
|
|
|
|
Total |
4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fourth Year - Spring |
|
|
|
|
Patent Litigation and Dispute Resolution |
2
|
|
|
|
International Protection
of Intellectual Property |
2
|
|
|
|
Total |
4
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total Hours** |
72
|
|
Total Hours** |
72
|
* Note: Constitutional Law II is a requirement
for students who entered law school in Fall 2003.
This means that it is first required in Spring 2005.
** In addition to 72 hours of required courses,
12 hours of elective courses must be taken, at least
5 of which must come from the following intellectual
property law courses: Patent Infringement Law (1),
Patent Infringement Remedies (1), Patent Interference
Law and Practice (1), Patent Writing Theory and Practice
(2), Patent Prosecution (2), Chemical and Biotechnology
Patent Law (2), Internet and Online Law (2), Unfair
Trade Practices (3), Giles Rich Moot Court (2), Federal
Circuit Practice Seminar (2), Federal Circuit Bar
Journal (1-6), and Protecting IP in the Internet
World (2).
Intellectual Property Law
Sequence
George Mason law students may choose, in the alternative,
to pursue the Intellectual Property Law Sequence.
This sequence is designed for students who want to
gain a solid foundation in intellectual property
law but desire more flexibility in their course of
study.
The course requirements for the Intellectual Property
Law Sequence are as follows:
|
Course
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Copyright
Law |
3
|
|
| Legal
and Economic Theory of Intellectual Property
Seminar |
2
|
|
| Patent
Infringement Law |
1
|
|
| Patent
Infringement Remedies |
1
|
|
| Patent
Law I |
2
|
|
| Patent
Law II |
2
|
|
| Trademark
Law |
3
|
|
| Trade
Secrets |
1
|
|
| |
|
|
| Total
Hours |
15
|
|
copyright © 2004
last updated:
Jun 15, 2005
