Technology, Transfer and Licensing *

Intellectual property licensing is becoming pervasive in business. Businesses regularly license technology from third parties and sometimes license their own intellectual property. In this course, we will examine the issues associated with intellectual property licensing. In addition to examining general trademark, patent and copyright licenses, we will study specialized licensing arrangements, including open source software, industry-sponsored standard-setting organizations, and technology transfer arrangements (used by universities and private research foundations). In addition to examining relevant statutes and cases, we will review and discuss numerous licensing agreements with an emphasis on developing practical drafting and negotiation skills needed for licensing attorneys. Students will prepare four five-page papers that would each 1) critique a license agreement provided to the class and 2) propose language for missing provisions and/or poorly drafted provisions. It is strongly recommended that students complete the Intellectual Property Survey course or have an extensive working familiarity with intellectual property law before taking this class. There will be no final exam.

Meets B Writing Requirement.

* Typically offered every other year