Various topics designed to respond to faculty and student interests and needs.
Intellectual property is increasingly understood to be a mainspring of the emerging post-industrial or information economy. In a world less dominated by machine production, policy makers are grappling with difficult ethical, economic and political issues as they seek to unleash the potential of intellectual property in diverse applications from the arts to the sciences. In this course we retrace key aspects of the history of intellectual and intangible property before anticipating the current ethical, political and economic debates with which the law must grapple.
Student learning goals
To understand the historical, economical, political, ethical and sociological roots of intellectual property law.
To understand what international laws apply to what type of intellectual property.
To understand current international debates on intellectual property issues.
To understand how intellectual property law as a concept may develop in the future, based on global technological changes.
General method of instruction
A combination of lectures, exercises (some will be in-class group exercises, and others will be individual take-home exercises), guest speakers, films and discussions, and an in-class team presentation.
An interest in the general topic and an appreciation for its complexity in the current world which requires a global perspective on all activities in which a company or person may engage.
Class assignments and grading
Exercises, consisting of the application of general principles and concepts. In-class midterm and a take-home final exam. In-class and take-home exercises requiring the application of general principles covered in class to hypothetical examples. An in-class presentation on a current topic concerning intellectual property.
Points will be associated with each assignment, including the exams. Students will thus accumulate points on each as the quarter progresses. Scores on these discrete activities as a whole will be weighted.