The intellectual property survey course presents an overview of patent, copyright, and trademark law. At the professor's discretion, the course also may include some coverage of trade secrets, unfair competition, or federal preemption of state intellectual property laws. The course provides an opportunity for students to acquaint themselves with the major branches of intellectual property law, and may be most useful for students who (1) intend to pursue careers in general business law or civil litigation; (2) intend to specialize in one of the major branches of intellectual property law, such as patents, but who want to develop a basic understanding of the other branches as well; or (3) are interested in learning something about the field before committing to further in-depth study of one or more of its branches."
Students should not enroll in this course if they already have taken, or will have taken by the end of the semester in which they plan to enroll in this course, two or more of the following courses: Patent Law, Copyright Law, or Trademarks.