Patent Law 277W

Meeting Time:
TuTh 11:30 – 12:35 PM

Instructor:
Robert P. Merges
438 Law Building (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

 Date

 Topic

 Materials; Statute; Problems

Tu 8/17
PPT

Pat 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
PPT
Bilski- Software and Business Methods Patentable Subject Matter: Stat. Supp. 35 USC § 101; In re Bilski, Book Supp.
Tu 8/24
PPT
101 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
PPT
Utility Utility: Brana, M&D 230-240; Ex parte Fisher, M&D 240-256.
Tu 8/31
PPT
Enablement 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
PPT
Indefiniteness and Best Mode Gentry Gallery, M&D 299-309; Additional Notes on Written Description; Ariad v. Eli Lilly, Book Supp.
Tu 9/7
PPT
Written Description Written Description II: Rochester v. Searle, 314-320; LizardTech v. Earth Resource Mapping, Inc., 321-327
Th 9/9
PPT
Indefiniteness 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
PPT
Novelty 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
PPT
Novelty 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
 

Third Party Activity: Baxter, WL Gore, M&D 570-584; International Considerations, 586-589; Summary & Problems, 589-593.

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
PPT
Makeup Exhaustion and First Sale: Quanta v. LG Electronics, Book Supp.
TBA Review Session  
Final