754 IP Transactions
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are the currency of an innovation economy. Each of these forms of intellectual property may be bought and sold, licensed, or used as security. How each is used will depend on the business context; the needs of a start-up company being far different from those of a multinational corporation. This course will focus on intellectual property transactions in various business contexts, including: maximizing value and assessing risks; using intellectual property in financing start-ups; protecting trade secrets; employment issues related to intellectual property; intellectual property licensing; and intellectual property in mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy.
Evaluation Methods include final exam, bi-weekly homework assignments, and class participation.
Enrollment Pre-/Co- Requisite Information
Intellectual Property is highly recommended. If you have not taken Intellectual Property, there is a 40 page Appendix in the text (which is not part of the required reading) that covers many fundamental IP issues, and I will also spend the first half of the first class giving a basic overview of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets.
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| Degree Requirements |
JD elective
LLM-LE (JD) elective
IntlLLM-SJD-EXC elective
IntlLLM Business Cert
IntllLLM IP Cert
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Sample Syllabi |
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Spring 2026
| Course Number | Course Credits | Evaluation Method | Instructor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 754.01 | 2 |
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Katie Ertmer | ||
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are the currency of an innovation economy. Each of these forms of intellectual property may be bought and sold, licensed, or used as security. How each is used will depend on the business context; the needs of a start-up company being far different from those of a multinational corporation. This course will focus on intellectual property transactions in various business contexts, including: maximizing value and assessing risks; using intellectual property in financing start-ups; protecting trade secrets; employment issues related to intellectual property; intellectual property licensing; and intellectual property in mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy. Degree RequirementsPre/Co-requisitesIntellectual Property is highly recommended. If you have not taken Intellectual Property, there is a 40 page Appendix in the text (which is not part of the required reading) that covers many fundamental IP issues, and I will also spend the first half of the first class giving a basic overview of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. |
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Spring 2025
| Course Number | Course Credits | Evaluation Method | Instructor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 754.01 | 2 |
|
Katie Ertmer | ||
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are the currency of an innovation economy. Each of these forms of intellectual property may be bought and sold, licensed, or used as security. How each is used will depend on the business context; the needs of a start-up company being far different from those of a multinational corporation. This course will focus on intellectual property transactions in various business contexts, including: maximizing value and assessing risks; using intellectual property in financing start-ups; protecting trade secrets; employment issues related to intellectual property; intellectual property licensing; and intellectual property in mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy. Degree RequirementsPre/Co-requisitesIntellectual Property is highly recommended. If you have not taken Intellectual Property, there is a 40 page Appendix in the text (which is not part of the required reading) that covers many fundamental IP issues, and I will also spend the first half of the first class giving a basic overview of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. |
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Spring 2024
| Course Number | Course Credits | Evaluation Method | Instructor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 754.01 | 2 |
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Katie Ertmer | ||
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are the currency of an innovation economy. Each of these forms of intellectual property may be bought and sold, licensed, or used as security. How each is used will depend on the business context; the needs of a start-up company being far different from those of a multinational corporation. This course will focus on intellectual property transactions in various business contexts, including: maximizing value and assessing risks; using intellectual property in financing start-ups; protecting trade secrets; employment issues related to intellectual property; intellectual property licensing; and intellectual property in mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy. Syllabus: 754-01-Spring2024-syllabus.docx22.33 KB Degree RequirementsPre/Co-requisitesIntellectual Property is highly recommended. If you have not taken Intellectual Property, there is a 40 page Appendix in the text (which is not part of the required reading) that covers many fundamental IP issues, and I will also spend the first half of the first class giving a basic overview of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. |
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Spring 2023
| Course Number | Course Credits | Evaluation Method | Instructor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 754.01 | 2 |
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John Fuscoe, Katie Ertmer | ||
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are the currency of an innovation economy. Each of these forms of intellectual property may be bought and sold, licensed, or used as security. How each is used will depend on the business context; the needs of a start-up company being far different from those of a multinational corporation. This course will focus on intellectual property transactions in various business contexts, including: maximizing value and assessing risks; using intellectual property in financing start-ups; protecting trade secrets; employment issues related to intellectual property; intellectual property licensing; and intellectual property in mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy. Syllabus: 754-01-Spring2023-syllabus.docx22.18 KB Degree RequirementsPre/Co-requisitesIntellectual Property is highly recommended. If you have not taken Intellectual Property, there is a 40 page Appendix in the text (which is not part of the required reading) that covers many fundamental IP issues, and I will also spend the first half of the first class giving a basic overview of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. |
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Spring 2022
| Course Number | Course Credits | Evaluation Method | Instructor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 754.01 | 2 |
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John Fuscoe | ||
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are the currency of an innovation economy. Each of these forms of intellectual property may be bought and sold, licensed, or used as security. How each is used will depend on the business context; the needs of a start-up company being far different from those of a multinational corporation. This course will focus on intellectual property transactions in various business contexts, including: maximizing value and assessing risks; using intellectual property in financing start-ups; protecting trade secrets; employment issues related to intellectual property; intellectual property licensing; and intellectual property in mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy. Syllabus: 754.01.Spring2022-syllabus.pdf86.17 KB Degree RequirementsPre/Co-requisitesIntellectual Property is highly recommended. If you have not taken Intellectual Property, there is a 40 page Appendix in the text (which is not part of the required reading) that covers many fundamental IP issues, and I will also spend the first half of the first class giving a basic overview of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. |
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Spring 2021
| Course Number | Course Credits | Evaluation Method | Instructor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 754.01 | 2 |
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John Fuscoe | ||
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are the currency of an innovation economy. Each of these forms of intellectual property may be bought and sold, licensed, or used as security. How each is used will depend on the business context; the needs of a start-up company being far different from those of a multinational corporation. This course will focus on intellectual property transactions in various business contexts, including: maximizing value and assessing risks; using intellectual property in financing start-ups; protecting trade secrets; employment issues related to intellectual property; intellectual property licensing; and intellectual property in mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy. Degree RequirementsPre/Co-requisitesIntellectual Property is highly recommended. If you have not taken Intellectual Property, there is a 40 page Appendix in the text (which is not part of the required reading) that covers many fundamental IP issues, and I will also spend the first half of the first class giving a basic overview of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. |
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Spring 2020
| Course Number | Course Credits | Evaluation Method | Instructor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 754.01 | 2 |
|
John Fuscoe | ||
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are the currency of an innovation economy. Each of these forms of intellectual property may be bought and sold, licensed, or used as security. How each is used will depend on the business context; the needs of a start-up company being far different from those of a multinational corporation. This course will focus on intellectual property transactions in various business contexts, including: maximizing value and assessing risks; using intellectual property in financing start-ups; protecting trade secrets; employment issues related to intellectual property; intellectual property licensing; and intellectual property in mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy. Degree RequirementsPre/Co-requisitesIntellectual Property is highly recommended. If you have not taken Intellectual Property, there is a 40 page Appendix in the text (which is not part of the required reading) that covers many fundamental IP issues, and I will also spend the first half of the first class giving a basic overview of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. |
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Spring 2019
| Course Number | Course Credits | Evaluation Method | Instructor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 754.01 | 2 |
|
John Fuscoe | ||
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are the currency of an innovation economy. Each of these forms of intellectual property may be bought and sold, licensed, or used as security. How each is used will depend on the business context; the needs of a start-up company being far different from those of a multinational corporation. This course will focus on intellectual property transactions in various business contexts, including: maximizing value and assessing risks; using intellectual property in financing start-ups; protecting trade secrets; employment issues related to intellectual property; intellectual property licensing; and intellectual property in mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy. Degree RequirementsPre/Co-requisitesIntellectual Property is highly recommended. If you have not taken Intellectual Property, there is a 40 page Appendix in the text (which is not part of the required reading) that covers many fundamental IP issues, and I will also spend the first half of the first class giving a basic overview of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. |
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Spring 2018
| Course Number | Course Credits | Evaluation Method | Instructor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 754.01 | 2 |
|
John Fuscoe | ||
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are the currency of an innovation economy. Each of these forms of intellectual property may be bought and sold, licensed, or used as security. How each is used will depend on the business context; the needs of a start-up company being far different from those of a multinational corporation. This course will focus on intellectual property transactions in various business contexts, including: maximizing value and assessing risks; using intellectual property in financing start-ups; protecting trade secrets; employment issues related to intellectual property; intellectual property licensing; and intellectual property in mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy. Degree RequirementsPre/Co-requisitesIntellectual Property is highly recommended. If you have not taken Intellectual Property, there is a 40 page Appendix in the text (which is not part of the required reading) that covers many fundamental IP issues, and I will also spend the first half of the first class giving a basic overview of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. |
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Spring 2017
| Course Number | Course Credits | Evaluation Method | Instructor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 754.01 | 2 |
|
John Fuscoe | ||
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are the currency of an innovation economy. Each of these forms of intellectual property may be bought and sold, licensed, or used as security. How each is used will depend on the business context; the needs of a start-up company being far different from those of a multinational corporation. This course will focus on intellectual property transactions in various business contexts, including: maximizing value and assessing risks; using intellectual property in financing start-ups; protecting trade secrets; employment issues related to intellectual property; intellectual property licensing; and intellectual property in mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy. Degree RequirementsPre/Co-requisitesIntellectual Property is highly recommended. If you have not taken Intellectual Property, there is a 40 page Appendix in the text (which is not part of the required reading) that covers many fundamental IP issues, and I will also spend the first half of the first class giving a basic overview of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. |
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Spring 2016
| Course Number | Course Credits | Evaluation Method | Instructor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 754.01 | 2 | Kenneth D. Sibley, John Fuscoe | |||
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are the currency of an innovation economy. Each of these forms of intellectual property may be bought and sold, licensed, or used as security. How each is used will depend on the business context; the needs of a start-up company being far different from those of a multinational corporation. This course will focus on intellectual property transactions in various business contexts, including: maximizing value and assessing risks; organization and financing start-ups involving intellectual property; protecting trade secrets; employment issues related to intellectual property; licensing; and intellectual property in public offerings and mergers and acquisitions. Pre/Co-requisitesLaw 270 Intellectual Property |
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