This is the webpage for a class from the PAST that has ALREADY ENDED. Current class information is available here.

Introduction to Intellectual Property

Fall 2006

University of Colorado Law School

Professor Paul Ohm

LATEST CHANGES TO SITE

12/4/06: Posted five other exam questions (and the answers to two) that are similar in style and scope to Professor Ohm's approach to exam writing.
12/1/06: During the review period, student questions and answers will be posted to the course TWEN site.
11/27/06: Changed reading assignment for Mon 12/4/06 assignment.
11/24/06: Posted Supplemental Reading for Wed 11/29/06 assignment.
11/14/06: Posted last year's final exam questions.
11/9/06: Posted Supplemental Reading for Wed 11/15/06 assignment.
10/04/06: Changed reading assignment for BOTH 10/9/06 and 10/11/06 assignments.
9/29/06: Changed reading assignment for Mon 10/9/06 assignment.
9/13/06: Changed reading assignment for Wed 9/27/06 assignment.
9/12/06: Posted Supplemental Reading for Wed 9/20/06 assignment.

Course Syllabus

Course syllabus in pdf and Word formats. (Does not reflect changes made below.)

Changes to Syllabus

Please take note of the following changes to the syllabus:

For Monday, December 4, 2006, do not read the INS v. AP opinion. The new (much shorter) assignment is: Contract (848-64).

[Posted 10/4/06] I have significantly modified the next two reading assignments--for Monday, 10/9 and Wednesday, 10/11--to allow us to catch up. For these two dates, please disregard the assignments in the syllabus and that have appeared previously on this website. The new assignments are:

Monday, 10/9/06: Review ENTIRE assignment from Wednesday, October 4th, and read Memorandum-Decision and Order [pdf] in Rescuecom Corp. v. Google (Sept. 28, 2006)
Wednesday, 10/11/06: AMF Inc. v. Sleekcraft Boats (709-16); Problems 5-7 and 5-8 (721); Dilution (721-35).

For Wednesday, September 27, 2006, in addition to the reading listed in the syllabus, skim pages 159-164 ("Procedures for Obtaining a Patent")

The new assignment is:

Wednesday, 9/27/06: Procedures for Obtaining a Patent (skim 159-164) and Doctrine of Equivalents: Basic Issues and Prosecution History Estoppel (263-80)

Supplemental Reading

Wednesday, 11/29/06: As specified in the syllabus, in addition to the pages assigned in the casebook, please read the following Supreme Court Opinion from last term:

MercExchange v. eBay, 126 S. Ct. 1837 (May 15, 2006) [pdf]

Wednesday, 11/15/06: In addition to pages 593-98 (skip notes) of the casebook, read the following:

Perfect 10 v. Google (C.D. Cal. Feb. 17, 2006) (This case is currently on appeal to the Ninth Circuit and, by coincidence, will be argued the same day we are discussing it.
New York Times Magazine Article about Google Book Search
About Google Book Search
In addition, spend some time trying out books.google.com

Wednesday, 9/20/06: (Required Reading)

KSR v. Teleflex, Federal Circuit Opinion [word] [pdf]
KSR v. Teleflex, Patent at Issue (Image Pages Only) [pdf]
KSR v. Teleflex, Three Amici Briefs to Supreme Court [word] [pdf]
(Optional) Warning: The Onion article linked here is full of off-colored language and profanities, so don't click if this will offend you. For some fun, nonobviousness-related reading compare this news story with this Onion article. The Onion article predated the real news by a year-and-a-half.

Class Mind Maps

Here are PDF versions of the Mind Maps developed in class:
Class Twenty-Six: December 4
Class Twenty-Five: November 29
Class Twenty-Four: November 27
Class Twenty-Three: November 15
Class Twenty-Two: November 13
Class Twenty-One: November 8
Class Twenty: November 6
Class Nineteen: November 1
Class Eighteen: October 30
Class Seventeen: October 25
Class Sixteen: October 23
Class Fifteen: October 18
Class Fourteen: October 16
Class Thirteen: October 11
Class Twelve: October 9
Class Eleven: October 4
Also Class Eleven: Boulder Restaurant Trademark Distinctiveness Game
Class Ten: October 2
Class Nine: September 27
Also Class Nine: Simpler Chart of Doctrine of Equivalents/Prosecution History Estoppel
Class Eight: September 25
Class Seven: September 20
Class Six: September 18
Class Five: September 13
Class Four: September 11
Class Three: September 6
Class Two: August 30
Also Class Two:Map of "Justification Game"
Class One: August 28

Other Class Materials

Here are other materials used in class or handed out:

*** Last year's final exam ***

Last year's final exam.
Last year's grading rubric.
A model student answer (published with permission)

Exams not authored by Professor Ohm but similar in style and scope to his exams:

Five model exam questions.
Professor Ohm's model answers for the first two questions (note that we did not discuss "trademark use" last year, which might have figured into Question 1 but is not mentioned in this model answer).

Class Eighteen, October 30: Columbia Law Schools archive of copyright cases (including sound clips to many songs) involving music.
Class Seven, September 20: A blogger has rewritten the entire Patent Act in verse
Class Two: August 30: Powerpoint on Economics of IP (by Prof. Larry Solum)

Youtube Mondays

December 4, 2006: Viral Videos:

Christmas Lights
Matt Harding dancing around the world.
Numa Numa

November 27, 2006: BofA's "One":

November 13, 2006: Peer-to-Peer Monday:

Jack Black talks about piracy.
Sorry Blockbuster, I love p2p.
FVL set to a techno beat.

November 6, 2006: Mash-up Monday:

The Grey Video
Sunday Bloody Sunday as sung by President Bush
Typical Worth1000 Photoshopping Contest

October 30, 2006: Ten Things I Hate About Commandments
Also October 30, 2006: Shining
October 23, 2006: Spamland
Also October 23, 2006: Aleksey Vayner as explained in Sunday's NY Times
October 16, 2006: Dove's "Campaign for Real Beauty" video of a model's transformation.
October 9, 2006: Microsoft redesigns the iPod trade dress.
October 2, 2006: Driving through the streets of Paris. Wikipedia explanation. Map of route driven.
September 25, 2006: Elmo TMX
Also September 11, 2006: Fun little Line Rider game and Excellent "helicopter escape" example.
September 18, 2006: Stop motion space invaders
Also September 18, 2006: Super Mario Bros. performed live at Gordon College talent show
September 11, 2006: 1000 Cars racing at once in Trackmania sunrise
Also September 11, 2006: Man photographs himself every day for six years
August 30, 2006: OK GO Dance routine on treadmills
August 28, 2006: Canon Rock performed by funtwo. as explained in this NY Times article.