Introduction to Intellectual Property

Intellectual property is the currency of the tech world, with the world’s most valuable intellectual property assets dwarfing the value of their real-world counterparts. Apple’ trademarked brand was valued at over $100 billion as of 2017. J.K. Rowling’s Harry potter franchise has generated over $25 billion to date. But how did the law come to create such enormous value in intangible assets?

This course will introduce the various types of U.S. intellectual property: patents, which cover inventions and process innovations; copyright, which protects original works of authorship; and trademarks, which protect a business’ commercial identity as the source of valuable goods and services. You will then explore case studies of how global businesses have used intellectual property law to generate enormous value from these intangible assets.