Intellectual Property: Patents
This course is a comprehensive introduction to patent law, the patent system, and the way patents are deployed by businesses and other patent owners. We cover the core concepts of U.S. patent law, as they relate to (1) patent validity; (2) infringement; and (3) remedies. We draw on traditional case law under the 1952 Patent Act, as well as recent legislation (particularly the America Invents Act of 2011) and contemporary case law (both Federal Circuit and Supreme Court). We will emphasize two main themes: (a) practical aspects of the patent system, of interest to inventors, entrepreneurs and patent owners; and (b) issues that pose challenges to the patent system, such as the purchase and sale of patent portfolios and current trends in patent litigation.