Intellectual Property | DEV-College of Law | Illinois

797: Patent Theory and Economics

Krista Gaedtke — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 23:22:49 +0000

Why do we have patents? What behavior do they reward? Are they an efficient incentive? Patent Theory and Economics will explore these questions and related issues to solidify students’ understanding of the patent system and doctrine, as well as to provide students with the facility to assess clients’ needs and opportunities for reform. The course will focus on readings of economic and legal scholarship, and will be conducted in a student-driven, seminar format. Responsibilities for leading discussions will be assigned after the first day of class. The course will principally use electronic materials distributed through Canvas, including additional handouts and topical materials as they may arise during the semester. The course may include possible guest lectures from visiting faculty. The course may be taken for Upper Level Writing Credit.

Sequence and Prerequisites: While previously completing a Patent Law or Intellectual Property course is suggested, it is not required.

Evaluation: Paper

797: Advanced Topics in Patent Law

Chris Davies — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 19:56:27 +0000

Advanced Topics in Patent Law will explore a variety of topics related to patent law and practice, patent litigation, and the economic theories undergirding patents. We will examine these topics through a variety of sources: recently issued judicial opinions, briefs, pending legislation, scholarly articles, and empirical studies, among others. The course is designed to familiarize students with issues at the coalface of patent law and policy, as well as to fill in doctrinal areas that might go missing from a basic Patent Law or Intellectual Property course. Students will be responsible for carefully reading and digesting each week’s reading materials and, then, leading discussions in class. Students may elect to take the course to satisfy the Upper Level Writing Requirement.

Sequence and Prerequisites: While a technical background is not necessary for the course, students must have previously completed either Patent Law (Law 645) or Introduction to Intellectual Property (Law 797).

Evaluation: Paper

797: Trade Secret Law

Chris Davies — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 19:52:31 +0000

This course will examine the origin and evolution of trade secret law, and the policies which promote the ongoing protections afforded this intellectual property right. In addition to studying the legal requirements for securing trade secret protection, this course will also examine the practical aspects and considerations for protecting a trade secret. A focus of this course will be the various ways in which trade secrets are used in commercial settings, how parties litigate trade secret misappropriation, potential defenses, and remedies available to a successful trade secret owner. We will explore both state-based trade secret law (often modeled after the UTSA) and federal trade secret law (DTSA). This course will also cover the circumstances under which criminal consequences for trade secret misappropriation may be enforced.

Sequence and Prerequisites: None

Evaluation: This course will be evaluated by a final paper.

797: Economics and Law of Digital Platforms

Chris Davies — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 19:51:25 +0000

This course will introduce the economics and law of digital platforms. The course will discuss the novel business models and important features associated with digital platforms and examine firms’ abuse of dominance conducts in the digital space. The course will also explore the recent development in the antitrust regulation of digital platforms and review the recent cases involving major digital platforms (e.g., Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook). This course is designed for students who are interested in antitrust laws and applying economics to analyze firms’ anticompetitive behavior. This is a pass/fail course.

Sequence and Prerequisites: Intermediate microeconomics and/or industrial organization are recommended, but not required.

Evaluation: This is a pass/fail course. Students are expected to attend classes and engage in class participation. Students are assigned reading materials and required to prepare a short paper.

797: AI and the Law

Krista Gaedtke — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 16:47:18 +0000

Increasingly, the world is seeing a rise in many applications of enhanced computing and predictive capabilities. Lawyers need to be at the forefront of this revolution. This course examines a broad range of legal and policy challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and other emergent technologies.

Through assigned readings, weekly discussion, and engagement with experts, students will explore the many promises and perils of AI. Students will engage with AI scholars and lawyers as the class explores issues raised by the intersection of algorithms and law on privacy and surveillance, ethics, and national security, bias and discrimination, and the implications for courts, agency oversight, lawyers, and society.

Sequence and Prerequisites: None. No prior scientific background is required; merely a willingness to learn.

Evaluation: 1) Participation, 2) Three Critical Analyses. The bulk of your grade will consist of your performance on three 5-page critical analyses., 3) Most weeks you do not have a Critical Analysis due (~10 weeks), you will be required to submit a 700-900 word critical analysis (around one page) related to the readings for the week.

797: Blockchain for Lawyers

Krista Gaedtke — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 17:39:40 +0000

This course provides a basic understanding of blockchain technology. It is intended to be a technical foundation for studying the current and emerging laws applicable to blockchain systems. Students will learn how essential blockchain systems work, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, altcoins, smart contracts and NFTs, decentralized autonomous organizations, and decentralized finance systems. We will relate technical issues to legal issues to ensure students are familiar with the key areas of law that govern blockchain systems and virtual assets. Those areas will include securities and commodities, asset tokenization, privacy, and intellectual property. This is a pass/fail course.

Sequence and Prerequisites: A basic understanding of Bitcoin functionality is recommended, but not required.

Evaluation: This is a pass/fail course. Students are expected to attend classes and engage in class participation. Students are assigned reading materials and required to prepare a short paper.

797: Traditional Knowledge and Folklore in Intellectual Property

Krista Gaedtke — Wed, 06 Sep 2017 21:49:43 +0000

This course identifies linkages between Intellectual Property, Traditional Knowledge (TK) and Folklore (otherwise referred to as Traditional Cultural Expressions – TCEs). The course addresses the relationship between TK/TCEs and the law of intellectual property, and explores the extent to which intellectual property law can be used to protect TK and TCEs. It defines the terms involved; highlights how TK/TCEs are of value to different nations or regions; and proceeds to show how they are protected in those jurisdictions. The course also provides a broad coverage of international legal instruments for the protection of TK and TCEs. It then evaluates the arguments for and against protection of TCEs, bringing in case studies that have involved a clash between Intellectual Property, Traditional Knowledge, and Traditional Folklore.

Sequence and Prerequisite: Prior completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, one of the following courses: Copyright Law (Law 644); Patent Law (Law 645); Trademark, Unfair Competition and Consumer Protection Law (Law 643); or Introduction to Intellectual Property (Law 797).

Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on response papers and participation.

797: Economics of Intellectual Property

Chris Davies — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 20:13:35 +0000

This seminar will cover the economic theories behind copyright, patent, and trademark law, including the study of empirical evidence testing those theories. The first part of the course will consist oflecture and discussion based on readings from Landes & Posner’s The Economic Structure of IP Law and other articles. The goal is to obtain an understanding of the economic analysis of all forms of IP. The second half of the course will consistent of student presentations of key articles in the field.

Sequence and Prerequisites: Prior completion of one of the following courses is required: Copyright Law, Patent Law, Trademarks & Unfair Competition, International IP, or Introduction to IP.

Evaluation: Grades will be based on the class presentations.

643: Trademark, Unfair Competition and Consumer Protection

Doyle — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 19:47:57 +0000

The Trademark segment will cover Federal and common law trademark law, and will add some coverage of international trademark law, reflecting the increasing internationalization of intellectual property law. The Unfair Competition segment will briefly cover interference with contractual relations, and trade libel, and will provide extensive coverage to the increasing Federalization of the law of unfair competition under the Trademark Act (which, despite its name, creates various non-trademark-related Federal torts of unfair competition). The Consumer Protection segment will cover consumer protection activities of state attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission. This portion is closely related to the rest of the course, since consumers and competitors can often sue under the same statute defining unlawful trade practices.

Sequence and Prerequisites: None

Evaluation: Final administered examination

644: Copyright Law

Doyle — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 19:47:57 +0000

This course offers an in-depth look at copyright law, with special emphasis on the application of traditional copyright principles to new technologies and media of expression. We will explore the range of copyrightable subject matter (from literary, musical, dramatic, pictorial, audiovisual and architectural works to computer software), issues of ownership and transferability, issues pertaining to the reproduction, distribution and performance of copyrighted works and the creation of derivative works, issues concerning fair use and parody, issues regarding remedies for infringement, and certain issues pertaining to international protection for copyrights. This course will not address patent, trademark and other intellectual property protection issues other than in a highly abbreviated fashion for purposes of distinguishing those types of protection from copyright.

Sequence and Prerequisites: None

Evaluation: Final administered examination