Author: kad25

Lecture to be Held in Honor of the Late Justice T. Modibo Ocran

The University of Akron School of Law will hold a lecture in honor of the late Justice T. Modibo Ocran on Friday, May 14 at 4 p.m. at the School of Law in Room 151. (150 University Avenue, Akron, 44325). The lecture, “The United Nations, Peacekeeping, and Post-Conflict Reconstruction of States” will be given by Dr. Muna B. Ndulo, professor of law and director of the Institute for African Development at Cornell University Law School.  For further details visit http://www.uakron.edu/law/news/news-details.dot?newsId=1060630

Albert and Vern Oldham Intellectual Property Law Lecture Series presents:

Professor Michael Meurer, Boston University School of Law

“Patent Failure: How Judges, Bureaucrats, and Lawyers
Put Innovation at Risk”
Thursday, April 15 at 5 p.m. in Room 152

Recent empirical analysis provides conclusive evidence that the patent system today fails, in general, as a system of property rights. Properly functioning property rights give property owners an incentive to efficiently invest in their property. As recently as the 1980s, the patent system provided positive incentives for patent owners to invest in their inventions. And even today it provides positive incentives in some industries, such as the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and to some groups of inventors, such as independent inventors. However, for most firms—in particular, those firms who account for the largest share of R&D spending—today’s patent system actually decreases incentives to invest in R&D and commercialization. Professor Meurer will discuss empirical evidence that points to the reasons for this failure.

Reception to immediately follow lecture.