Intellectual Property: The Business & Law of Technology & Patent Licensing

If you practice in any technology-related area (whether transactions, corporate, IP management or litigation), you will encounter licensing, as it is the principal means by which technology and patent rights are disseminated, exploited and commercialized. It is fundamental to Silicon Valley and beyond, including in software, mobile, consumer devices, autonomous cars, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. This is a practice-oriented course covering the fundamentals of licensing technology and patents, including business considerations, drafting, negotiations and strategic considerations. We will also consider the role of licensing in mergers and acquisitions, litigation and antitrust contexts. The course is structured based on a real-world hypothetical involving entrepreneurs who spin out university-developed inventions into startup companies and then seek to commercialize the technology and patents to leading companies in a specified technology industry (such as smartphones, autonomous cars, "internet of things" or the like). We will also have a guest lecturer from a major technology company with significant licensing dimensions (which in the past have included Google, Facebook, Waymo, and Qualcomm). Elements used in grading: Class Participation, Final Exam. Course Prerequisite: Intro to IP (Law 4005) or equivalent, or consent of instructor.