Intellectual Property Survey, Fall 2007

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"MML" refers to pages in the required casebook, Merges, Menell & Lemley, Intellectual Property in the New Technological Age, Fourth Edition (Aspen, 2006), not the "Revised Fourth Edition."

We will make frequent reference to federal statutes. You may find these online or in the casebook's 2007 statutory supplement. Naturally, you need not memorize statutes, but you should be able to find the relevant language to apply to cases and hypothetical (and will probably want to bring printed copies to the exam).

  • U.S. Code from Cornell's LII

    Syllabus

    Introduction

    August 29, 2007

    1. Philosophical perspectives on intellectual property and overview.
      • MML pp. 1-30
      • Think about what you've heard referred to as "intellectual property": What justifies protecting it by limiting its availability to others?

    NO CLASS Monday, September 3, Labor Day

    Trade Secret

    September 5

    1. Trade Secret 1: Subject matter of trade secret; Misappropriation

      • MML pp. 33-66
      • Metallurgical Industries v. Fourtek
      • Rockwell Graphics Systems v. DEV Industries
      • E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. v. Rolfe Christopher

    September 10

    1. Trade Secret 2: Misappropriation; Defenses; Non-compete agreements

      • MML pp. 67-100
      • Smith v. Dravo Corp.
      • Kadant, Inc. v. Seeley Machines
      • Wexler v. Greenberg


    Copyright

    September 12

    1. Copyright 1: Subject matter and requirements

      • MML pp. 367-419 (skim 386-394)
      • 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 102, 105
      • Feist Publications v. Rural Telephone Service
      • Baker v. Selden
      • Morrisey v. Procter & Gamble
      • Brandir Int'l v. Cascade Pacific Lumber Co.

    September 17, 2007

    1. Copyright 2: Scope of rights; Ownership; Infringement

      • MML pp. 420-446, 458-474
      • 17 U.S.C. §§ 106, 201
      • CCNV v. Reid
      • Aalmuhammed v. Lee
      • Arnstein v. Porter
      • Nichols v. Universal Pictures Corp.

    September 19, 2007

    1. Copyright 3: Infringement (cont'd); Defenses

      • MML pp. 474-496, 506-520 Note: most of the fair use discussion has been moved to the following class
      • 17 U.S.C. §§ 106, 107, 109
      • Arnstein v. Porter
      • Nichols v. Universal Pictures Corp.
      • Steinberg v. Columbia Pictures Industries
      • Anderson v. Stallone
      • Harper & Row Publishers v. Nation Enterprises

    September 24, 2007

    1. Copyright 4: Fair Use Defenses (cont'd); Secondary Liability

      • MML pp. 520-563, 593-598
      • Harper & Row Publishers v. Nation Enterprises
      • American Geophysical Union v. Texaco
      • Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music
      • Sony Corp. v. Universal City Studios
      • Kelly v. Arriba Soft

    September 26, 2007

    1. Copyright 5: Copyright in the Digital Millennium


    Patent

    October 1, 2007

    1. Patent 1: Patentable subject matter

      • MML pp. 117-164
      • 35 U.S.C. §§ 101, 102, 103
      • Diamond v. Chakrabarty
      • Parke-Davis & Co. v. H.K. Mulford Co.
      • State Street Bank & Trust v. Signature Financial Services (MML pp. 1047-1051)

    October 3, 2007

    1. Patent 2: Utility, Enablement

      • MML pp. 144-185
      • 35 U.S.C. §§ 101, 112
      • Brenner v. Manson
      • In re Fisher
      • Incandescent Lamp Patent
      • Gentry Gallery v. Berkline Corp.

    Tuesday October 9, 2007

    1. Patent 3: Novelty, Nonobviousness

      • MML pp. 185-215, 215-238
      • 35 U.S.C. §§ 102, 103
      • Rosaire v. National Lead Co.
      • In re Hall
      • Egbert v. Lippmann
      • City of Elizabeth v. Pavement Co.
      • Griffith v. Kanamaru
      • Graham v. John Deere Co.
      • In re Vacek
      • In re Dembiczak

    October 10, 2007

    1. Patent 4: Infringement, literal and by equivalents

      (readings for this class shortened, remainder moved to next week)
      • MML pp. 239-268
      • 35 U.S.C. § 271, 103
      • Graham v. John Deere Co.
      • In re Vacek
      • In re Dembiczak

      • Phillips v. AWH Corp.
      • Larami Corp. v. Amron
      • Warner-Jenkinson Co. v. Hilton-Davis Chem. Co.

    October 15, 2007

    1. Patent 5: Infringement (cont'd)

      • MML pp. 268-303
      • Festo Corp. v. Shoketsu Kinsoku Kogyo Kabushik Co.
      • Johnson & Johnson Assocs. v. R.E. Service Co.

      • C.R. Bard v. Advanced Cardiovascular Systems
      • KSR v. Teleflex, 550 U.S. -- (2007, 04-1350) (web)

    Trademark

    October 17, 2007

    1. Trademark 1: Subject matter and requirements

      • MML pp. 617-660
      • 15 U.S.C. §§ 1125, 1127
      • Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Products Co.
      • Zatarains v. Oak Grove Smokehouse
      • Two Pesos v. Taco Cabana
      • Wal-Mart Stores v. Samara Brothers

    October 22, 2007

    1. Trademark 2: Establishing a mark

      • MML pp. 660-699
      • 15 U.S.C. § 1052
      • Zasu Designers v. L'Oreal S.A.
      • In re Nantucket, Inc.
      • Park 'N Fly, Inc. v. Dollar Park and Fly, Inc.

    October 24, 2007

    1. Trademark 3: Infringement

      • MML pp. 699-736
      • 15 U.S.C §§ 1114-1117
      • 1-800 Contacts v. WhenU.com
      • AMF Inc. v. Sleekcraft Boats
      • Moseley v. V Secret Catalogue, Inc.

    October 29 and 31 -- class cancelled, readings moved to following Monday. Our makeup, Friday Nov. 9, will require no additional reading.

    November 5, 2007

    1. Trademark 4: Defenses

      • MML pp. 769-813
      • The Murphy Door Bed Co. v. Interior Sleeps Systems, Inc.
      • TrafFix Devices, Inc. v. Marketing Displays, Inc.
      • Major League Baseball Properties v. Sed Non Olet Denarius, Ltd.
      • Dawn Donut Co., Inc. v. Hart's Food Stores, Inc.
      • Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records

    November 7, 2007

    1. Trademark 5: Domain names and trademark

    Friday, November 9, 2007, 1:30 p.m.

    1. Wrapping up

      No new reading


    Last Updated: 10/22: No classes next week, start your reviews instead. Makeup Friday, Nov. 9 9/17/07 (readings deferred)
    9/12/07 (statutes hyperlinked)