Patent Law 277W
Meeting Time: Date Topic Materials; Statute; Problems Tu 8/17 Third Party Activity: Baxter, WL Gore, M&D 570-584; International Considerations, 586-589; Summary & Problems, 589-593.
TuTh 11:30 - 12:35 PM
Instructor:
Robert P. Merges
438 Boalt Hall (North Addition)
510-643-6199
rmerges@law.berkeley.edu
Admin. Assistant:
Chris Swain, 793 Simon Tower (642‑0503)
This course will cover the core concepts of U.S. patent law with special focus on the issues of patent reform that have been raised over the past few years. Using the perspective of an inventor or entrepreneur, we will examine how patents are used as a business tool to commercialize new technologies and innovations. We will also consider fundamental policy questions about the current patent system such as whether it favors big institutions over independent inventors or start-ups and whether it inhibits scientific research and access to medicines.
Class Meeting Times:
The class will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 - 12:35 PM in Room 170.
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1:30 – 2:40 PM; or by appointment.
Required Reading:
Merges & Duffy, Patent Law & Policy (4th ed., LexisNexis 2007) (M&D)
Merges et al., IP in the New Technological Age, Case and Statutory Supplement (2010) (Stat. Supp.)
Syllabus PDF
PPTPat System & Drafting
Historical Introduction M&D 1-13; Introduction to the patent document, pp. 13-26; Introduction to Claims & Patent System: M&D 26-66
Th 8/19
PPTBilski- Software and Business Methods
Patentable Subject Matter: Stat. Supp. 35 USC § 101; In re Bilski, Book Supp.
Tu 8/24
PPT101 Part 2
101 (cont’d): Chakrabarty, Laws of Nature, etc.: M&D 67-78; Natural Substances, M&D 106-110; Association for Molecular Genetics (Myriad), & Notes, Book Supp.
Th 8/26
PPTUtility
Utility: Brana, M&D 230-240; Ex parte Fisher, M&D 240-256.
Tu 8/31
PPTEnablement and WD
Enablement and Written Description: Intro and Incandescent Lamp, M&D 261-272; Janssen v. Teva, Book Supp.; Stat Supp. 35 USC § 112.
Th 9/2
PPTIndefiniteness and Best Mode
Gentry Gallery, M&D 299-309; Additional Notes on Written Description; Ariad v. Eli Lilly, Book Supp.
Tu 9/7
PPTWritten Description
Written Description II: Rochester v. Searle, 314-320; LizardTech v. Earth Resource Mapping, Inc., 321-327
Th 9/9
PPTIndefiniteness and Best Mode
Definiteness and Best Mode: Orthokinetics, M&D 327-332; Note on Standard Oil, 332-337; Note on Functional Language, 337-340; Chemcast, 348-356.
Tu 9/14
PPTNovelty
Introduction to Novelty: Intro and Robertson, M&D 357-370; Stat. Supp. 35 USC § 102; In re Hafner and Notes, 380-387; Intro, 393; In re Klopfenstein, 405-413.
Th 9/16
PPTNovelty Beyond 102(a)
Novelty II, 102(e) and (f): Note on Novelty and the Economics of Search, M&D 417-421; §102(e): Alexander Milburn, 421-431; §102(f): Campbell, M&D 431-438.
M-F 9 /20 - 9/24
No Class - Fall Break
Tu 9/28
PPT
Priority, §102(g)(1) & (2): Intro., Brown v. Barbacid, M&D 438-456; Peeler, M&D 456-464; Dow, 468-478; Note on Rule 131, 481-483; Stat. Supp. § 102(g).
Th 9/30
PPT
Statutory Bars I: Intro and Pennock, Egbert, Moleculon, Metallizing Engineering, M&D 509-536.
Tu 10/5
PPT
On Sale Bar and Experimental Use: Pfaff, 536-550; City of Elizabeth, M&D 555-562; Lough, 562-570.
Th 10/7
PPT
Tu 10/12
PPT
Nonobviousness: Intro, Hotchkiss, Historical Note, Graham, M&D 611-645 [stop reading Graham opinion before discussion of Cook case]; US v. Adams, 653-662.
Th 10/14
PPT
Suggestion Test: Intro (“Subtests”) and KSR v. Teleflex, 665-685; Obviousness after KSR & In re Kubin, Book Supp.
Tu 10/19
PPT
§102/103 Prior Art and Analogous Arts: Intro and Hazeltine, 730-734; Note, Economic Rationale, 743-744; Oddzon, M&D 745-750; Intro & Clay M&D 764-773.
Th 10/21
PPT
Claims I: Intro and Merrill, 781-787; Intro and Phillips, 787-804; Note on Canons, 804-812.
Tu 10/26
PPT
Claims II: Intro and Wright Co. v. Paulhan, M&D 820-826; Note on Purposive Claim Construction, 826-829; Intro and Markman, 829-839; Phillips (Part II), 845-849.
Th 10/28
PPT
Claims III: Doctrine of Equivalents: Warner-Jenkinson, M&D 856-867; Prosecution History Estoppel: Festo, 867-88.
Tu 11/2
PPT
Joint and Divided Infringement, BMC Resources v. Paymentech & Notes, Book Supp.; other recent infringement/claim construction case (look for email update).
Th 11/4
PPT
Indirect Infringement and Foreign Activity: Intro and Aro, CR Bard, M&D 908-923; Intro, Brown, and Microsoft v. AT&T, 923-931.
Tu 11/9
PPT
Injunctions: Intro, eBay, Notes, z4, Additional Notes, M&D, 933-956; Amazon.com, 956-967.
Th 11/11
No Class - Veteran's Day
Tu 11/16
PPT
Damages: Panduit, M&D 969-985; Grain Processing, and Note M&D 1000-1019; Note, Entire Market Value Rule, 1025-1029; Lucent v. Gateway & Notes, Book Supp.
Th 11/18
PPT
Willful Infringement, Reissue and Reexamination: In re Seagate Technology, Book Supp.; Intro to Reissues, M&D 1073; Intro to Reexamination and Rodime and Notes, Note on Inter Partes Reexamination, M&D 1092.
Tu 11/23
PPT
Defenses: Prosecution Delay Laches and Inequitable Conduct: Symbol Technologies, M&D 1130-1140 ; Briefs in Therasense v. Becton-Dickinson (pending Federal Circuit en banc case – look for email updates).
Th 11/25
No Class - Thanksgiving
Tu 11/30
PPT
Coinvention and Ownership: Burroughs-Wellcome; Stark, Eli Lilly, Ethicon, M&D 1142-1180.
Th 12/2
PPTMakeup
Exhaustion and First Sale: Quanta v. LG Electronics, Book Supp.
TBA
Review Session
Final
