HOUSTON, THE NATION'S FOURTH LARGEST CITY, STANDS TODAY AS A LEADING
international center for creativity in computer technology,
biomedical technology, petrochemical technology, and space
technology.
At the legal epicenter of Houston's contributions to the
technologies of tomorrow is the Institute for Intellectual
Property & Information Law ("IPIL") at the University of
Houston Law Center.
IPIL is recognized throughout the world for the strength of
its faculty, scholarship, curriculum, and students. Its contribu,
tions to the study of law have earned both respect and an
enduring reputation for quality.
Leading· Legal· Learning-in patent, copyright, trademark,
trade secret, and information law.
That's what we do at the UH Law Center. Come join us.
-Raymond T. Nimmer
OlAN ANO
llONARO H
CHILO\ PROflllOR Of
LAW
ALEARNING CENTER AT AN
INTERNATIONAL CROSSROADS
AS PART OF THE UH LAW CENTER, accredited by both the American Bar Association
and the Association of American Law Schools, the Institute for Intellectual
Property & Information Law is located in one of the largest and most diverse
metropolitan areas in the United States. Houston is among the top five markets
in the United States for intellectual property and information lawyers, with thousands
of IP and IL specialists working in corporations, law firms, and universities.
In addition to world-class law firms serving clients from Houston to Hong Kong
and from Silicon Valley to Singapore, Houston hosts numerous multinational
corporations and agencies that generate intellectual property: Exxon Mobil, Shell,
Hewlett-Packard, NASA, many computer companies, and the distinguished
institutions of the Texas Medical Center are just
a few. UH's strong presence in the
region produces significant
research opportunities for faculty
and students alike. For more
information on Houston, visit
www.houstontx.gov.
UH LAW CENTER'S
LEGAL INFORMATION RESOURCES
LAW SCHOOLS ARE BUILT AROUND THEIR LIBRARIES, and the
O'Quinn Law Library gives UH Law Center
students and faculty one of the region's leading
legal research facilities.
The law library houses the largest law collection
in the metropolitan area. As a U.S. Government
Depository, the library receives and makes available all
•
federal government publications in selected subject areas. Special subject
_
libraries for health law and
higher education law, along with the Frankel Rare Books Library,
round out the UH Law Center's hard-copy collections.
The law library also has emerged as a model for receiving,
processing, and delivering materials available only in digital form.
The integrated library system provides links to print resources
and online data. A wireless network provides easy access to the
UH Law Center's network and online subscriptions.
Information technology has become a fast-growing part of
both the practice of law and the UH Law Center. The Legal
Information Technology (LIT) department supports wireless
access to UH Law Center networks and to the Internet in classrooms, study areas, the Commons, the library, and other locations.
Email, discussion groups, word processing, Internet browsers, and
other applications all are supported by the UH Law Center's LIT staff.
A help desk staffed by LIT personnel attends to all computer-related needs.
SPONSORED SCHOLARSHIP FROM IPIL/HOUSTON
E-COMMERCE
AND PRIVACY
CONSIDERING
COPYRIGHT
Anita L. Allen
Laura N. Gasaway
I. Trotter Hardy
Craig Joyce
Walter W. Miller, Jr.
Hon. Jon 0. Newman
Raymond T. Nimmer
William Patry
Maureen A. O'Rourke
Hon. Richard A. Posner
Chris Reed
Alan Story
Joel R. Reidenberg
Eugene Volokh
Holly K. Towle
Alfred C. Yen
Hon. Frank H. Easterbrook
THE FUTURE
OF PATENT LAW
TRADEMARK IN
TRANSITION
Clayton P. Gillette
Paul M. Janicke
Graeme B. Dinwoodie
Robert W. Gomulkiewicz
Mark D. Janis
Stacey L. Dogan
Raymond T. Nimmer
Jay P. Kesan
A. Michael Froomkin
Robert L. Oakley
Craig Allen Nard
William M. Landes
Peter Swire
Toshiko Takenaka
Mark A. Lemley
R. Polk Wagner
John R. Thomas
J. Thomas McCarthy
THIS IMAGE. OLD SANTA fE TRAIL, A MURAL BY WILLIAM PENHALLOW HENDERSON FROM A MORE
ABUNDANT LIFF:, APPEARS COURTESY OF SUNSTONE PRESS. SANTA FE. NEW MEXICO.
TRANSACTIONS,
INFORMATION
AND EMERGING LAW
Greg Vetter
SPONSORED PROGRAMS AND
EN RICH MENT ACTIVITIES
THE INSTITUTE ISA RESOURCE CENTER for the legal and professional communities
on intellectual property and information law issues. Each year, the Institute
sponsors or cosponsors conferences, symposia, lectures, and study-abroad
opportunities
to
fulfill its mission.
Annual Baker Botts Lecture
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LEFT TO RIGHT: Greg Vetter, Scott Partridge, Judge Gajarsa, Paul]anicke, and Craig Joyce
2007
JOEL R. REI OEN BERG , Professor of Law and Founding Director of the
Center on Law and Information Policy, Fordham University
School of Law
2006
THE HONORABLE ARTHUR J. GAJARSA, United States Court of
Appeals for the Federal Circuit
2005 F. SCOTT KIEFF, Washington University in St. Louis-School of Law
2004
JANE
C. GINSBURG, Morton L. ]anklow Professor of Literary and
Artistic Property Law, Columbia Law School, New York
SPONSORED
SYMPOSIA
SPONSORED SYMPOSIA provide the opportunity for the Institute to work
with academic institutions and intellectual property and information
law practitioners to focus on problems and explore solutions for critical
legal issues associated with creative expression and new technologies.
SPONSORED WEB
RESOURCES
ANNUAL INTELLECTUAL ASSETS
AND TECHNOLOGY LAW INSTITUTE
PATSTATS.ORG
DALLAS, TEXAS
This conference secures national
On line Patent Litigation Statistics
experts to explore the newest
PATSTATS.ORG, a Web resource from the UH Law Center's Institute
trends in the most rapidly
for Intellectual Property & Information Law, tracks case out,
developing legal area--computer
comes for 40 commonly arising issues in modem U.S. patent liti,
and information law.
gation. Offered as a free public service for courts, scholars, and
practitioners of patent law, this resource provides research infor,
ANNUAL INSTITUTE ON
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW
GALVESTON, TEXAS
mation on decisions rendered each quarter, from January 1, 2000
to the present.
Decisions include the reported cases of the District Courts,
This institute secures national experts
the Court of Federal Claims, and the International Trade
to review the latest
Commission. Reported and unreported Federal Circuit decisions
developments and trends in
also are incorporated.
intellectual property and
information law.
PATSTATS.ORG issues include: Validity Decisions, Enforceability
Decisions, Procedural Defenses, Infringement Issues, Damages
Calculations, Special Factors.
To view these materials please contact www.patstats.org/ .
LI CENSI NG-CONTRACTS.ORG
Licensing Law Materials
This site focuses on the contract law of licensing. Licensing information
is not, in law or in fact, equivalent to selling goods or real estate. The
hope is that this site will contribute to the growing recognition that a
goods,centric view is wrong in today's world.
Licensing is an area of contrac:t law that has unique terms and themes.
Contracts that license the use of or access to information, technology,
data, and other intangible assets are central to the information economy.
The law pertaining to them is the subject of this site. It is a subject that
merits treatment.
Available resources include a compilation of selected cases that
are interesting and informative, plus a compilation of selected articles.
In addition, readers are invited to contribute suggestions regarding
new materials for inclusion, and to contribute to a forum of comments
on licensing.
To view these materials and participate in the exchange, please
contact
www.licensing-contracts.org/.
IPl NFOBLOG.COM
Contemporary Intellectual Property,
Licensing & Information Law
This site offers a continuing dialogue on contemporary IP,
licensing and information law issues, hosted by Dean Nimmer.
To participate in this blog, please contact
www.ipinfoblog.com/.
PAUL M. JANICKE
CRAIG JOYCE
HIPLA Professor of Law
Andrews Kurth Professor of Law
B.E.E., Manhattan College;
B.A., Dartmouth College;
J .D., New York University;
M.A., Oxford University;
LL.M., George Washington University
J.D., Stanford University
Property Seminar, Patent Law, Patent Litigation, Licensing &
Technology Transfer
Professor Joyce is the lead author of the widely
used casebook, COPYRIGHT LAW, which is adopted
for classroom instruction in dozens of law schools
across the country (7•h ed. 2006). His articles on
copyright doctrine and history have appeared in
numerous journals, including the Michigan and
UCLA law reviews, and are cited regularly by the
federal appellate courts. He recently edited THE
MAJESTY OF THE LAW for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Professor Joyce practiced law at Fennemore, Craig, von Ammon & Udall in
Phoenix before entering academia in 198 1, and has taught at the UH Law Center
since 1986. He served as the Co-Director of the Intellectual Property Program
from 1991 to 1996, resuming in 1999, and as Associate Dean for Graduate
Studies and Special Programs from 1996 to 1999.
REC EN T SCHOLAR SHIP INCL UDES:
SUBJECTS: Copyright, Torts, American Legal History
A recognized expert on patent litigation, Professor Janicke clerked at the
U.S. Court of Customs & Patent
Appeals in Washington, D.C., from
1969 to 1971 before joining the
intellectual property firm of Arnold,
White & Durkee, where he later served
as managing partner. Professor Janicke
joined the UH Law Center faculty in 1992. His casebook, MODERN
PATENT LITIGATION, was published by Carolina Academic Press in 1999.
SUB JECT S: Evidence, Intellectual Property Survey, Intellectual
MODERN PATENT LITIGATION (Carolina Academic Press 2006); Ul'ho w,·ns Patent
Infringement Cases!, 34 AIPLA Q. J. I (2006); On the Causes of Unpredictability of
Federal Circuit Decisions in Patent Cases, 3 Nw. J. TECH. & INTELL. PROP. 93 (2005 );
"Maybe We Shouldn't Arbitrate": Some Aspects of the Risk/Benefit Calculus ofAgreeing to
Binding Arbitration of Patent Disputes, 39 H ous. L. REV. 693 (2002); To Be or Not To Be:
The Long Gestation of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 69 J.
ANTITRUST L. 645 (2002). Also, Two Problem Areas in the Patent Jurisdiction of the
Federal Circuit, VA. J. L. TECH. (forthcoming 2006); A SURVEY OF INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY LAW (work in progress).
For more information, visit Professor Janicke's Web page at www.law.uh.edu/faculty.
RE CENT SCHOL ARSH IP IN CLUDE S:
COPYRIGHT LAW (7th ed. 2006) (with Leaffer, Jaszi & Ochoa); lazy Band the Nation's Court:
Pragmatism in Seroice of Pnnciple, 119 HARV. L. REV. 1257 (2006); A Good Judge, 30 J. S. CT. HIST.
100 (2006); A Curious Chapter 1n the History ofJudicature, 43 Hous. L. REV. 325 (2005); "The Story
of Wheaton v. Peters," in INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY STORIES (Jane C. G insburg & Rochelle Dreyfuss
Cooper ed., 2005); multiple entries in OXFORD COMPANION TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED
STATES (2d ed. 2004); Owning the law, in 100 AMERICANS MAKING CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY
(2004); historical preface to IN-CHAMBERS OPINIONS OF THE JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT OF
THE UNITED STATES (2004 ); Copynght 1n 1791: An Essay Concerning the Founders' View ofthe
Copyright Power Granted to Congress in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution, 52
EMORY L.J. 909 (2003) (with L. Ray Patterson); THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW: REFLECTIONS OF A
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE (Random House 2003) (written by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and edited by Professor Joyce). Also, multiple entries in YALE 8ICX::RAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN
LAW (forthcoming 2006); United States Intellectual Property law, in OXFORD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LEGAL
HISTORY (forthcoming 2006).
For more information, visit Professor Joyce's Web page at www.law.uh.edu/faculty.
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RAYMON DT. NIMMER
GREG R. VETTER
Dean and Leonard H. Childs
Professor of Law
Assistant Professor of Law
B.A., J.D., Valparaiso University
M.S., University of Missouri-Kansas City;
B.S.E.E., University of Missouri-Rolla;
M.B.A., Rockhurst University;
Dean Nimmer is one of the leading authorities
on computer law in the world. He has served
as the official reporter for the National
Conference of Commissioners on Uniform
State Laws and as the principal architect of
the Uniform Computer Information
Transactions Act. His treatise, The Law of
Computer Technology, was named the best
new law book of 1985 by the Association of
American Publishers. Continually revised and updated, the book is the leading text in the field. Dean Nimmer joined the University of Houston law faculty in 1975 and was acting dean of the UH Law Center from 1993 to 1995.
SUBJECTS : Computer Law, Information Law, Commercial Law, Commercial
Paper, Creditors' Rights, Law and Science, Digital Transactions, Network Law
RECENT SCHOLARSHIP INCLUDES:
MODERN LICENSING LAW (West 2006); "Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act"
(chapter in HAWKLAND ON THE UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE)(2005); CASES AND MATERIALS
ON LICENSING OF INFORMATION ASSETS (Lexis/Nexis 2005); First Amendment Speech and the
DMCA: A Proper Mam'age, in FREE SPEECH AND COPYRIGHT (Suthersanen ed., Oxford
University Press 2004 ); Emerging Trends in Commercial Law: A Modem Template for Discussion,
2 DEPAUL Bus . & COMM. LAW. J. 623 (2004 ); UC/TA and the Continuing Evolution of Digital
licensing Law, THE COMPUTER & INTERNET LAWYER, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Feb. 2004 ); THE LAW OF
ELECTRONIC COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS (Thomson Pratt 2003); COMMERCIAL
TRANSACTIONS: SECURED FINANCING, CASES, MATERIALS, PROBLEMS (3'J ed. 2003) (with I.
Hillinger & M. Hillinger); THE LAW OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY (4•h ed. West 2003); Antitrust
Issues Online, in INTERNET LAW REGULATION (West 2002); Licensing in the Contemporary
Information Economy, 8 WASH. UNIV. J. LAW & POLICY 99 (2002); Revised Article 9 and
Intellectual Property Asset Financing, 53 ME. L. REV. 287 (2001) (reprinted in INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY REVIEW 2003).
For more information, visit Professor N immer's Web page at www. law.uh .edu/faculcy.
J.D., Northwestern University
Professor Vetter came to the UH Law Center with
experience in software design project management, product management, and product marketing, including a variety of intellectual property
and contractual responsibilities.
Professor Vetter practiced at Kilpatrick
Stockton's Raleigh, North Carolina, office in the
firm's technology law group, and obtained registration to practice before the
United States Patent and Trademark Office as a patent attorney. He then clerked
for the Honorable Arthur J. Gajarsa on the United States Court of Appeals for
the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., before joining the UH Law Center faculty in 2002.
Professor Vetter's research interests include intellectual property, patents, the
role of intellectual property in commercial law, and information technology law.
SUBJECTS : International Intellectual Property, Patent Law, Intellectual Property
Survey, Property
RECEN T SCHOLARS HI P INCLUDES :
Open Source Licensing and Scattering Opportunism in Software Implemented Standards, OwNING
STANDARDS SYMPOSIUM, B.C. L. REV. (forthcoming); Exit and Voice in Free and Open Source Software
Licensing: Moderating the Rein over Software Users, OR. L. REV. (forthcoming); Open Source Software
and Information I.Ilea/th (forthcoming solicited book chapter); Embedding Thickets in Information
Security?: Cryptography Patenting and Strategic Implications for Information Technology (forthcoming
solicited book chapter); "Infectious" Open Source Software: Spreading Incentives or Promoting
Resistance?, 36 RUTGERS L.J . 53 ( 2005 ); The Collaborative Integrity of Open Source Software, 2004
UTAH L. REV. 563 (2004 ); Free and Open Source Software, 17th Annual Intellectual Property Law
Course, State Bar of Texas (2004); Trademark in Transition, 41 Haus. L. REV. 707 (2004) (introductory commentary and prologue as moderator of June 2004 IPIL/Houston Santa Fe Conference);
Command Responsibility of NonMilitary Superiors in the International Criminal Court, 25 YALE J. INT'L
L. 89 (2000); Is a Personality Test a Pre-Job-Offer Medical Examination under the ADA!, 93 Nw. U. L.
REV. 597 (1999).
For more information, visit Professor Vetter's Web page at www. law.uh .edu/faculcy.
AFFILIATED & ADJ
AFFILIATED FACULTY
DARREN BUSH, Assistant Professor ofLaw
UH Law Center
B.A., California State University, San Bernardino;
Ph.D., University of Utah; J.D., University of Utah
Professor Bush interned at the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust
Division, where he consulted on issues regarding state deregulation of
electric utilities. He also served as an Attorney General's Honor Program
Trial Attorney at the Antitrust Division's Transportation, Energy, and
Agriculture Section, where his primary focus was the investigation of
mergers and anticompetitive conduct in wholesale and retail energy markets. Professor Bush currently is working on revising an antitrust casebook,
FREE ENTERPRISE AND INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION: ANTITRUST. He teaches
ANTITRUST, REGULATED INDUSTRIES, LAW & ECONOMICS, and ADMINISTRATIVE LAW.
ANTHONY R. CHASE, Associate Professor of Law,
UH Law Center
B.A., M.B.A., J.D., Harvard University
Professor Chase joined the UH Law Center faculty in 1990. He serves as
Deputy Chairman on the Regional Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of
Dallas, Houston Branch, and on the Executive Committee of the United
Way and the Board of Directors of the Greater Houston Partnership. He
teaches COMMUNICATIONS LAW, REGULATION OF BROADCASTING, and
CONTRACTS.
.-~
,
MICHAELA. OLIVAS, William B. Bates Distinguished
Chair in Law and Director, Institute of Higher
Education Law & Governance, UH Law Center
B.A., Pontifical College Josephinum;
M.A., Ph.D., Ohio State University;
J.D., Georgetown University
Professor Olivas is the nation's leading expert on higher
education law, and served two terms as general counsel of
the American Association of University Professors. A prolific scholar, his writings are cited in the popular press and
debated in academic institutions across the United States.
He teaches HIGHER EDUCATION LAW, BUSINESS LAW &
IMMIGRATION, and PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
LAWRENCE F. PINSKY, Physics Department Chair,
College of Natural Sciences, University of Houston
B.S., Carnegie Mellon University;
M.A. and Ph.D., University of Rochester;
J.D. and LL.M., University of Houston
UH Law Center
Professor Pinsky's research and teaching specialties
include: experimental particle physics, heavy ion physics,
nucleon structure functions, space radiation simulation,
medium energy physics, and charged particle detector
development. He is actively involved in projects at
CERN, BNL, NASA, and Fermilab. At the UH Law
Center, he teaches PATENT LAW and INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY SURVEY.
B.S., University of Illinois;
M.S., Bucknell University;
J.D., The American University
DON TOMLINSON , Clinical Professor of Law and
Director, Transactional Law Clinic
GERALDINE SZOTT MOOHR, Alumnae Professor of Law,
Professor Moohr is one of the nation's leading scholars in the field of federal
criminal law, particularly the laws dealing with fraud and white collar
crime. She recently completed a trilogy of articles that deal with the misappropriation of business information, federal law governing theft of trade
secrets, and criminal copyright infringement, and has a forthcoming casebook, THE CRIMINAL LAW OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND INFORMATION.
She teaches PROPERTY CRIME IN THE INFORMATION AGE, an advanced criminal law course that focuses on misappropriation, infringement, and theft of
intellectual property. Her other courses are WHITE COLLAR CRIME,
CRIMINAL LAW, EMPLOYMENT LAW, and EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION.
B.S., Arkansas State University;
J.D., University of Arkansas
Professor Tomlinson had a distinguished career as
Professor of Journalism at Texas A&M University, where
his courses included media law and ethics, and new media
techniques, before joining the UH Law faculty. At the
Law Center, he teaches ENTERTAINMENT LAW and directs
the Transactional Law Clinic.
UNCT IPILFACULTY
ADJUNCT AND VISITING FACULTY
RO NALD L. CHICHESTER, Ronald Chichester, P.C.
PAUL KRIEGER, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
JONATHAN P. OSHA , Osha•Liang
B.S., M.S., University of Michigan;
] .0., University of Houston
B.S., University of Pittsburgh;
LLB., University of Maryland;
LL.M., George Washington University
B.S., Cornell University;
J.D., George Mason University
A fifteen year patent attorney, Mr. Chichester services his
own clients and consults for other law firms o n technologyrelated matters. At the UH Law Center, h e teaches DIGITAL
TRANSACTIONS.
JEFF C. DODD, Andrews Kurth LLP
B.A., University of Houston;
J.D., University of Houston
Mr. Krieger is a leading practitioner and author in the
fields of trademark law, unfair competition law, and
trade secret law. H e teaches T RADEMARKS AND UNFAIR
COMPETITION, as well as a separate course in TRADE
SECRETS, and has been an adjunct professor at UHLC
for two decades.
& Brucculeri, L.L.P.
B.S.E.E., University of Notre Dame;
M.E.E., Rice University;
J .D., University of Houston;
LL.M., George Washington University
VALERIE K. FRIEDRICH, Baker & McKen zie LLP
Mr. Lewis's practice is devoted primarily to patent litigation, patent prosecution, and intellectual property counseling. He teaches SPECIAL TOPICS IN PATENT LAW at
the UH Law Center.
Dr. Friedrich practices in all areas of intellectual property law,
with a focus on client counseling, including formal opinions
on issues of patent infringement and validity, multinational
patent portfolio management and technology licen sing. At
UHLC, she teaches PATENT PROSECUTION.
SHARON A. ISRAEL, Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP
S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
J.D., M.B.A., Emory University
Ms. Israel specializes in intellectual property law, with an
emphasis in litigatio n, opinion work and client counseling,
and experience in licensing and patent and trademark prosecution. She co-teaches INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SURVEY.
MARCELLA WATKINS , Conley Rose, P.C.
B.S., Rice University;
J.D., The University of Texas
TERRIL G. LEWIS, Wong, Cabello, Lutsch, Rutherford
Mr. Dodd's practice centers on transactional information law,
which involves d eveloping e-commerce strategies, structuring
h ardware and software acquisition licensing, negotiating distribution agreements, and registering and enforcing intellectual
property rights. At the UH Law Center, he teaches LICENSING
AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.
B.S., University of Texas at Austin;
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles;
J .D., University of Houston Law Center
Mr. Osha's practice focuses on all aspects of
patent prosecution, with emphasis on electrical
and mechanical technologies. At the Law
Center, he teaches PATENT PROSECUTION.
CHARLES MEYER , Visiting Professor
B.S., The University of Virginia;
M.S., George Washington University;
J .D., American University Washington
College of Law;
BCL, University of Oxford
Prio r to entering academia, Professor Meyer was C hief
Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for RIM
(Blackberry Wireless Solutions). At the Oxford
Intellectual Property Research Center, h e served as a
Research Associate on a government-funded project
exploring IP issues in digitized mammograms shared
over a GRID computer network. At UH, he teaches
INTERNATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, TORTS,
INTERNET LAW, and PATENT REMEDIES & DEFENSES.
Ms. W atkins specializes in patent prosecution in
the chemical, mechanical, and electro-mechanical arts, trademark protectio n, and licensing and
litigation of intellectual property rights. She
teaches PATENT PROSECUTION.
DEGREE OFFERINGS
APPROXIMATELY 20 IPIL COURSES ARE OFFERED REGULARLY through the Institute at
the UH Law Center. Most of these courses answer the degree
requirements for both Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of
Laws (LL.M.) students.
J.D. PROGRAM
The UH Law Center offers both full-time and part-time programs leading
to
the J.D. degree. J.D. candidates must complete 90 semester hours and
can customize their curricula with intellectual property and information law courses that reflect their individual interests and concerns. Students interested in applying to the J.D. program should
contact the Office of Admissions for an application at
713. 743.2280 or lawadmissions@uh .edu. Applications also can be
downloaded at www.law.uh.edu .
LL.M. PROGRAM
The LL.M. Program provides an academic environment for practicing lawyers who wish to expand their knowledge of intellectual
property and information law. Only a limited number of candidates
are accepted for full-time or part-time studies, and admissions
are highly competitive. Applicants from the United States
must hold the J.D. degree or equivalent from a law school
accredited by the American Bar Association and must possess
promising research or practice credentials. Lawyers who hold law
degrees from foreign countries must meet academic and English language standards for admission.
,,..
LL.M. candidates must complete 24 semester hours of approved
courses with a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.5, and
a thesis. Class scheduling and availability vary from year to year,
with limited offerings in the summer. Full-time students with
subject matter flexibility occasionally complete the program in as
little as a full academic year (fall, spring, and summer semesters).
Both full-time and part-time degree candidates are allowed a
maximum of three years for in-classroom work and completion of
the thesis. Thesis supervision occurs during the fall and spring
semesters only. For details about the LL.M. program, contact the
LL.M. Coordinator at 713.743.2080 or llm@uh.edu.
VISITING AT THE UH LAW CENTER
Second- and third-year law students in good
standing at an ABA-accredited law school are
eligible to spend a semester at the UH Law
Center and to enroll in its intellectual
property and information law curriculum
as well as other upper-division courses.
Participants are accorded "visiting" status
and receive their law degrees from their
host schools. Students interested in
visiting at the UH Law Center should
contact the Office of Admissions
at 713.743.2280 or lawadmissions@uh .edu .
IPIL COURSESTYPICALLY OFFERED
ADVANCED CONTRACT DRAFTING deals with drafting various agreements (including IPIL,related agreements), ranging from sales through
licenses, and other forms of contract. 3credits.
ADVANCED TOPICS IN COPYRIGHT LAW SEMINAR provides students the opportunity for in-depth exploration of topics of interest to them, including
technological, international, and historical problems in the field of copyright law. 3credits.
COMPUTER LAW is the study of law as it pertains to computers and information technology. The course examines the impact of commercial law
concepts on technology and the law of contracts as applied to computer software and hardware. 3credits.
COPYRIGHT LAW deals with the protection of the works of human intellect {literature, music, art, computer programs, etc.) under the
Copyright Act of 1976, as amended. The course includes subject matter, ownership, duration, formalities, exclusive rights, infringement
actions and defenses, remedies, federal preemption of state law, and international aspects of copyright. 3 credits.
DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS covers issues in software and online licensing, including the nature of remedies, warranties, and other obligations that
arise from such transactions. 2 credits.
ENTERTAINMENT LAW blends concepts and skills derived from intellectual property, contracts, and torts, with emphasis on recent lntemetbased developments (e.g., MP3 and Napster) in the relevant entertainment industries. 2 credits.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ADVANCED TOPICS SEMINAR is a treatment of specialized subjects in intellectual property law, including currently
unresolved issues in domain name disputes, dilution of trademarks, patent scope determinations, and licensing of copyrights in
diverse media. 3credits.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW SURVEY covers domestic intellectual property laws-patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret-through statutes
and cases. The course is intended to afford the student who intends to practice in other areas an acquaintance with issues and principles,
and to provide the would,be IPIL specialist an introduction to the overall subject. 2 credits .
INTERNATIONALINTELLECTUALPROPERTY covers: international public law; private international intellectual property law, that is, the acquisition
and enforcement of IP rights internationally; and comparative aspects of IP law among major trading countries or regions of the world.
2credits.
INTERSESSION COURSES, taught annually during the winter break, consider a variety of currently topical subjects such as database protection
and privacy, as well as issues posed by pending and recently decided major cases before the federal and state courts. 1-2 credits.
LICENSING AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER examines the nature of "technology," the means for establishing legal rights in technology, and the ways of
employing and transferring such rights. 3 credits.
NETWORK LAW is a survey of legal issues arising from the rapid growth of Internet and other online communications. Coverage includes intellectual property, First Amendment, criminal, and privacy issues. A working knowledge of cyberspace is helpful, but not required. 3 credits.
PATENT LAW examines the substantive law of patenting as a means for protecting industrial ideas. The course focuses on conditions for a
patent, loss of a right to a patent, patent specification, infringement, patent litigation, and licensing of patents. 3 credits.
PATENT PROSECUTION studies substantive law and procedures governing the patent application process, and emphasizes practical application of
the rules to real-life situations. Students produce writing projects related to the preparation and prosecution of a hypothetical patent application in lieu of a final exam. 2 credits.
PATENT REMEDIES AND DEFENSES studies issues commonly arising in modem patent litigation. The course examines necessary parties, remedies, and
affirmative defenses. 2 credits.
PROPERTY CRIME INTHE INFORMATI ON AGE focuses on how criminal law deals with takings of new forms of property, such as business information,
trade secrets, and copyrighted material. The material reviews criminal theft and introduces criminal misappropriation and infringement.
3credits.
TRADE SECRETS surveys the practical aspects of trade secrets as they relate to prosecution by contract and operation of law, relationships of
the parties, public law constraints, adversarial considerations, and licensing. 2 credits.
TRADEMARK AND UNFAIRCOMPETITI ON examines the evolution and practice of trademark and related unfair competition law, with emphasis on litigation strategy. 3 credits.
STU DENT INTERESTS
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTYSTUDENTORGANIZATION (IPSO) is an association of J.O. students
organized to help promote awareness of intellectual property issues at the UH Law
Center, to provide networking opportunities to intellectual property practitioners
in the community, and to assist the Institute in carrying out its various programs.
STUDYABROADOPPORTUNITIES are available to Institute students. The North American
Consortium for Legal Education, a consortium of nine law schools in Canada, the
United States, and Mexico, offers student exchanges with member institutions. For
example, J.D. students and students pursuing their LL.M. in intellectual property
and information law have traveled to Europe to exchange ideas with counterparts
from the Max Planck Institute in Munich and to tour the World Intellectual
Property Organization and the World Trade Organization in Geneva.
UH LAW CENTER
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND
INFORMATION LAW
STUDENTS VISIT EUROPEAN
IP&IL AGENCIES.
CONTACT IN FORMATION
•
IPIL MISSIONS
PROVIDE legal education of the highest quality in the fields of intellectual property and
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LAW CENTER
INSTITUTE FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY &
INFORMATION LAW
100 Law Center
Huusron, Texas 77204-6060
713 . 74 3. 2 I 80
www. law. uh. cdu/i/)il
i/iil@uh. cdu
information law to help prepare law students and lawyers for the challenges of practicing law in a nationally and internationally integrated economy.
ADVANCE the development of intellectual property and information law by promoting
and disseminating research by UH Law Center faculty and visiting scholars.
SERVE Houston and the Southwest by providing a nationally recognized center for the
exchange of ideas on intellectual property and information law.
CONTRIBUTE to international cooperation among scholars and practitioners in these
fields from all nations.
J D. ADM ISSIONS
Office of Admissions
University of Houswn Law Center
l 00 Law Center
Houstnn, Texas 77204-6060
713.743.2280
law(ldmissiuns@uh. cdu
LL.M. ADMISSIONS
GRADUATE LEGAL STUDIES PROGRAM
Uni\'ersity of Houston Law Center
l 00 Law Center
Houston, Texas 77204-6060
713. 743.2080
llm@11h. cdu
ONLINE APPLICATIONS:
www. law.11h .ecl11
For further information about course
offerings and IPIL/Huusrnn programs,
please contact the
INSTITUTE FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY &
INFORMATION LAW
ar 713.743.2180 or by email at ipil@uh.edu.
II'
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JOHN WHEALAN,
PROrESSOR LAWRENCE U:SSIG.
DEPlTTY GENERAL COUNSEL
A CYBERLAW SCHOLAR AT
r oR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
STANFORD. SPEAKS AT THE
LAW AND SOLICITOR FOR
UNIVERSITY or HOUSTON.
THE UNITED STATES PATENT
AND TRADEMARK o m cE.
SPOKE TO LOCAL IP ATTORNEYS
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
HOUSTON LAW CENTER.
/HOUSTON
FROM
~
USPTO TO CREATIVE C OMMONS
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LAW CENTER
INSTITUTE FOR
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
100 Law Center
Houston, Texas 77204-6060
8c INFORMATION LAW
Non-profit
U.S. Postage
PAID
Houston, TX
Permit No. 7648
Ill
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•
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