Introduction to Intellectual Property Law

• Introduction
• 1. Legal rights in created intangibles
• International News Service v. The Associated Press (1918)
• 2. The Normative Objectives of Intellectual Property Laws
• John Locke, Two Treatises of Government Book II (1689) 
• Jeremy Bentham, Manual of Political Economy (~1790–95) 
• James Madison, Federalist Paper No. 43 (1788)   
• Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Isaac McPherson (August 13, 1813) 
• U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8
• William Fisher, Theories of Intellectual Property
• 3. The Elements of a Trade Secret
• Learning Curve Toys v. PlayWood Toys (7th Cir. 2003)
• 4. Misappropriation of Trade Secrets
• E. I. DuPont deNemours v. Christophers (5th Cir. 1970) 
• Uncle B's Bakery, Inc. v. Kevin O'Rourke and Brooklyn Bagel Boys, Inc. (N.D. Iowa 1996)
• 5. Patents
• U.S. Patent No. RE 39,247
• Bowman v. Monsanto Co. (2013)
• 6. Utility, Prior Art, and Novelty
• Manning and another v. Cape Ann Isinglass & Glue Co. and others (1883)
• In re Lister (Fed. Cir. 2009)
• 7. Nonobviousness
• Apple, Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Fed. Cir. 2016)
• 8. Patent Claims and Process
• Nautilus, Inc. v. Biosig Instruments, Inc. (2014)
• 9. Disclosure
• U.S. Patent No. 317, 676
• The Incandescent Lamp Patent (1895)
• Amgen v. Sanofi (2023)
• 10. Claim Construction and Infringement
• U.S. Patent No. 4,677,798
• Phillips v. AWH Corporation (Fed. Cir. 2005)
• 11. Design Patents
• Burstein, Rajec & Sawicki, One Day on Designs
• 12. Copyrightable Subject Matter and the Requirements of Originality and Fixation
• Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service (1991)
• 13. The Idea/Expression Dichotomy
• Baker v. Selden (1879)
• 17 U.S.C. §102. Subject matter of copyright: In general
• 14. Terms & Formalities and Ownership of Copyrights
• Community for Creative Non-Violence v. Reid (1989)
• Aalmuhammed v. Lee (9th Cir. 2000)
• 15. Introduction to Copyright Infringement
• Nichols v. Universal Pictures (2nd Cir. 1930)
• 16. Additional Rights of the Copyright Owner
• Pickett v. Prince (7th Cir. 2000)
• 17. Statutory Limits on Copyright Enforcement, including Fair Use
• Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. 510 U.S. 569 (1994)
• 18. Copyright and Objects
• Star Athletica, L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands (2017)
• 19. What a Trademark Is and Distinctiveness
• Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Prods. Co. (1995)
• Distinctiveness
• Zatarains, Inc. v. Oak Grove Smokehouse, Inc. (5th Cir. 1983)
• 20. Trade Dress and Distinctiveness
• Two Pesos v. Taco Cabana
• Wal-Mart Stores v. Samara Bros.
• 21. Trade Dress - Functionality
• TrafFix Devices v. Marketing Displays (2001)
• 22. Priority, Registration and Incontestability
• Matal v. Tam (2017)
• 23. Trademark Infringement
• Kemp v. Bumble Bee Seafoods, Inc. (8th Cir. 2005)
• 24. Permissible Uses
• Mattel Inc. v. MCA Records, Inc.
• Jack Daniel's v. VIP Products
• 25. Rights of Publicity
• Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Co. (1977)
• 26. Federal Preemption
• Kewanee Oil Co. v. Bicron Corp. (1974)
• Bonito Boats v. Thunder Craft Boats (1989)
• Title 15
• 15 U.S.C. § 1051. Application for registration; verification
• 15 U.S.C. § 1052. Trademarks registrable on principal register; concurrent registration
• 15 U.S.C. §§ 1053 - 1056
• 15 U.S.C. § 1057. Certificates of registration
• 15 U.S.C. § 1058. Duration, affidavits and fees
• 15 U.S.C. § 1064. Cancellation of registration
• 15 U.S.C. § 1065. Incontestability of right to use mark under certain conditions
• 15 U.S.C. § 1114. Remedies; infringement; innocent infringement by printers and publishers
• 15 U.S.C. § 1115. Registration on principal register as evidence of exclusive right to use mark; defenses
• 15 U.S.C. § 1117. Recovery for violation of rights
• 15 U.S.C. § 1125. False designations of origin, false descriptions, and dilution forbidden
• 15 U.S.C. § 1127. Construction and definitions; intent of chapter
• Title 17
• 17 U.S.C. § 101. Definitions
• 17 U.S.C. §102. Subject matter of copyright: In general
• 17 U.S.C. §§ 103, 104, 105. Subject matter of copyright: Compilations and derivative works
• 17 U.S.C. §106. Exclusive rights in copyrighted works
• 17 U.S.C. §106A. Rights of certain authors to attribution and integrity.
• 17 U.S.C. §107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use
• 17 U.S.C. §109. Limitations on exclusive rights: Effect of transfer of particular copy or phonorecord
• 17 U.S.C. § 110. Limitations on exclusive rights: Exemption of certain performances and displays
• 17 U.S.C. § 113. Scope of exclusive rights in pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
• 17 U.S.C. § 201. Ownership of copyright
• 17 U.S.C. § 202. Ownership of copyright as distinct from ownership of material object
• 17 U.S.C. § 203. Termination of transfers and licenses granted by the author
• 17 U.S.C. § 301. Preemption with respect to other laws
• 17 U.S.C. § 302. Duration of copyright: Works created on or after January 1, 1978.
• 17 U.S.C. § 305, 401, 402, 405, 407, 412
• 17 U.S.C. § 504. Remedies for infringement: Damages and profits
• Title 18
• 18 U.S.C. § 1831. Economic espionage
• 18 U.S.C. § 1832. Theft of trade secrets
• 18 U.S.C. § 1833. Exceptions to prohibitions
• 18 U.S.C. § 1836. Civil proceedings
• 18 U.S.C. § 1838. Construction with other laws
• 18 U.S.C. § 1839. Definitions
• Title 35
• 35 U.S.C. § 100. Definitions
• 35 U.S.C. § 101. Inventions patentable
• 35 U.S.C. § 102. Conditions for patentability; novelty
• 35 U.S.C. § 103. Conditions for patentability; non-obvious subject matter
• 35 U.S.C. § 112. Specification
• 35 U.S.C. § 154. Contents and term of patent; provisional rights
• 35 U.S.C. § 171. Patents for designs
• 35 U.S.C. § 271. Infringement of patent
• 35 U.S.C. § 282. Presumption of validity; defenses
• 35 U.S.C. §§ 283, 284, 285, 286, & 289
• 35 U.S.C. § 311. Inter partes review

Unlike traditionally published casebooks, which typically include short case excerpts providing key rules or doctrine, Introduction to Intellectual Property Law features one or two judicial opinions per chapter, in their entirety, along with descriptive notes to fill in the details. The resulting collection can be read on any device, free of charge.

Because reading full opinions is not easy, especially at the beginning of a legal career, another important component of this casebook are sets of questions to focus on while reading the cases. Lawyers generally approach texts this way, reading with purpose rather than to glean abstract knowledge. As you read the opinions, do it with a mind toward answering the questions posed.