Author: misty

Intellectual Property Licensing Course Summary

Spring Term 2012

9200-705-801

9200-805-801

Mr. Kahrl

 

 

            This summary of the course provides information for students who are thinking of rounding out their schedule for the Spring 2012 term.  We will be teaching the skill of drafting intellectual property licenses, including licenses for patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and other intellectual property rights.  In addition, various laws and economic factors governing the formulation of licensing terms will be considered, such as the business considerations in licensing, the antitrust laws applicable to licensing arrangements, contract law, tax law, bankruptcy provisions, valuation of intellectual property, and licensing litigation.  This course was designed by Prof. Jay Dratler and will be taught as envisioned by him with a few modifications to fit the expertise of the instructor.   

            The textbook for the course will be K.L. Port, Jay Dratler, Jr., et al., Licensing Intellectual Property in the Information Age, 2nd ed. (Carolina Academic Press, Durham, NC 2005), ISBN 0-89089-890-1.   Please do not attempt to use the first edition of this book; it is entirely different.   The university bookstore is stocking this book.  

            The course will work through the textbook at a pace of about one chapter per week.   Additional material will be available on the web, or through the course’s Springboard page.   The course will be governed by the syllabus, which will be posted shortly.    Uniquely, the course presents a series of drafting exercises to be completed by each student during the course of the term.   The current plan calls for six exercises spaced about two weeks apart, with the two longer exercises being allowed more time.   The exercises will be discussed in class both before the students attempt the exercise and after the exercise has been completed.  The grading of the course will be partially determined each student’s participation in discussion of the weekly readings, and partially determined by each student’s performance in the drafting exercises.  There will be no quizzes or examinations.   

            Prof. Dratler had taught this course in a format meeting twice a week.   The present instructor will present the course in a weekly three-hour session.   Students must prepare for this course recognizing that preparation will be required in the same amount as for two 90-minute classes.   The objective is for each student to be able to prepare a polished draft license agreement with all important clauses included and with all necessary legal and economic considerations covered. 

The Virginia Wagner Award Opportunity

The Soroptimist International of Canton/Stark County again this year is offering the Virginia Wagner Award to aid a student in undergraduate or graduate school.  This program fulfills one of Soroptimist’s goals . . . “to strive for human rights for all people, and, in particular, to advance the status of women.”

The Virginia Wagner Award winner is eligible for a cash award of First place – $550 and Second place – $500 from the local club.  The local club winner is eligible for an additional award if they are the first place winner in the region.

The following weighted guidelines are used in selecting a winner:

  1. Scholarship (Weight 15)
  2. Extra Curricular Activities (Weight 15)
  3. Financial need (Weight 15)
  4. Effort Toward Education (Weight 35)
  5. General Impression (Weight 20)

The application form is to be completed on-line at www.bestforwomencanton.org.

COMPLETED APPLICATIONS ARE TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE ADDRESS ON-LINE BY JANUARY 15, 2012.

Dean’s October Message

The Future

 A number of students have asked me what is causing all the faculty buzzing and meetings.  Well, simply, a number of individuals are being interviewed for open faculty positions.

 The process for appointment involves a special faculty committee that reports to the full faculty for the faculty’s decision.  The process starts with an identification of one or more vacancies.  The appointments committee advertises the open slot in various media and sometimes by letters to or notices in various legal newsletters and web-sites.  They can also solicit recommendations from faculty at other schools or interested parties.  In addition, the Association of American Law Schools [AALS] has an elaborate process to assist in recruiting.

The AALS process includes a periodic newsletter with job openings, and job requests and individuals and schools can respond to those notices.  There is also an AALS two day meeting to help faculty and prospective faculty meet.  Prior to this session, the AALS also distributes the resumes of numerous individuals who desire teaching positions.  Appointment committees at law schools review those lists and can either contact someone directly or select a number of them to meet with appointment committee members at this two day event usually held in Washington, D.C. , and affectionately called the “Meet [Meat] Market.”

This two day session is a marathon.  Appointment committees can scheduled numerous interviews over the two days and the prospective law teachers can go to numerous interviews over the two day period.

After the event, the appointment committee for the law school may invite a few prospects to campus to meet with more faculty and students and staff and the Dean.   Prospective faculty members decide which of these on campus visit offers to accept.  Once this match occurs, the candidates come to campus for the interview.  Other candidates may, of course, come to campus, through processes other than the AALS process [direct solicitation, responses to advertising, word of mouth].

The appointments committee then meets and prepares a recommendation to the faculty, which then votes and sends the recommendations onto the Dean.  The Dean’s job is then to recruit in priority order the candidates the faculty recommended.

Whew!  So you should be seeing a number of prospective faculty member  candidates over the next weeks.  You should also hear more faculty hallways discussions about candidates.  The end result will be great new colleagues for us and great new teachers for you.