ME208 Patent Law and Strategy for Innovators and Entrepreneurs

Fridays, 1:15pm to 3:05pm, Skilling Auditorium

Weekly Topics

01. INTRODUCTION TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (SEPT 26)

  • Historical Perspective and Legal Theories
  • Types of Intellectual Property
  • Intellectual Property Strategy Models

    • 02. OVERVIEW OF THE PATENT SYSTEM (OCT 03)
  • Kinds of Patent Protection and Patent Process
  • Sections of a Utility Patent
  • Subject Matter and Usefulness Requirement

    • 03. INVENTORSHIP AND OWNERSHIP (OCT 10)
  • Inventorship Rules
  • Ownership, Assignment, and Licensing of Patent Rights
  • GUEST SPEAKER: Jessica Connor, Patent Agent, Former Stanford Biodesign Fellow

    • 04. ESTABLISHING A PRIORITY DATE (OCT 17)
  • Publication, Public Use, and On-Sale Limitations
  • Enablement and Best Mode Requirements
  • HOW TO: File a Provisional Patent Application

    • 05. PATENTABILITY (OCT 24)
  • Novelty and First-to-Invent Requirements
  • Non-Obviousness Requirement
  • HOW TO: Conduct a Patentability Analysis

    • 06. INFRINGEMENT (OCT 31)
  • Infringement Analysis (Literal Infringement and Doctrine of Equivalents)
  • Defenses and Remedies
  • HOW TO: Conduct an Infringement Analysis

    • 07. MID-QUARTER REVIEW (NOV 07)
  • Patentability and Infringement Comparison
  • Assignment Q&A
  • EXTRA: Life as a Law Student and as a Lawyer

    • 08. STRATEGY - Micro/Invention Level (NOV 14)
  • Capturing and Evaluating Inventions
  • Foreign Filing Considerations

    • 09. STRATEGY - Macro/Portfolio Level (NOV 21)
  • Freedom-to-Practice Opinions
  • Design-Around workshops
  • HOW TO: Design Around Problematic Patents