One maxim of patent law is that the specification describes; the claims define. This course will focus on drafting patent applications and claims and the various legal issues that arise in claim format, construction, type, scope, breadth, definiteness, novelty, and obviousness in practicing before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, various foreign patent offices, U.S. Federal District courts, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and taking the patent bar exam. One half of each two hour class will be devoted to the statutes, rules, and case law concerning patent claims. The other half of each class will be devoted to the skill of drafting patent claims and specifications. Grades will be based on in-class participation and the drafting of several sets of patent claims. At least one graded exercise will be timed and conducted in class.

Elective Course   Meets Skills Menu Requirement   Meets Health/Biomedical Concentration Requirements   Meets Intellectual Property Concentration Requirements   LLM Course