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LAW-2907 International Intellectual Property
Prof. Leah Chan Grinvald,
3 credits day; 3 credits evening.
WEB-Web course-Courses for which more than one-third of the information is online. Students
must have completed 28 credits to enroll in a web course. No more than 15 credits of web
courses may be counted toward the JD.
The globalization of business has increased the need for an understanding of the differing
intellectual property laws around the world and the application of those laws to the exchange of
information, workers, goods and services across national boundaries. Technological inventions,
creative works, brand equity and the accumulated experience and expertise of the workforce are
important assets in the current global economy. Although the intellectual property laws intended
to protect and regulate these assets are national, the assets are not readily confined to the country
of origin and exploitation is often multi-national. Advising clients in this environment requires
an understanding of the sources and application of a variety of laws and policies. This course
will begin with a series of classes introducing the relevant legal and trade principles, economic
and cultural influences and sources of law. These classes will consider important fundamental
principles including territoriality, national treatment, choice of law and cultural property and the
role of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and treaties that it manages. The
balance of the course will be devoted to a series of problems that will allow the class to examine
intellectual property laws, including patent, copyright, and trademark laws, from a comparative
perspective, to analyze the influence of treaties and other arrangements that affect the treatment
of foreign interests, and to discuss practical approaches for doing business and exploiting and
protecting intellectual property assets globally.
The class will be taught in an innovative format: the first twelve classes will meet in person, the
next twelve classes will be a mix of online lectures with integrated PowerPoint slides (along with
a short multiple choice exam at the end), and in-person small group work (for example,
simulated negotiations or simulated domain name dispute resolution). The class will also make
use of Blackboard features, such as the online discussion board. This class promises to be
exciting, and will also offer more flexibility than a traditional course.
Prerequisite: Prior satisfactory completion of one or more of the following courses is strongly
recommended: Copyright Law, Intellectual Property, Patent Law, or Trademark Law.
Elective Course
Meets Intellectual Property Concentration Requirements
Meets International Law Concentration Requirements
Final Exam Required
Take Home Exam Required