Class Meeting Time:
TuTh 11:20 – 12:35 PM in Room 170
Instructor:
Robert P. Merges
438 Law Building (North Addition)
510-643-6199
rmerges@law.berkeley.edu
Office Hours:
Tuesdays, 1:30 – 2:40 PM; or by appointment
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.
Required Reading:
Merges & Duffy, Patent Law & Policy (5th ed. 2011) (M&D)
Merges et al., IP in the New Technological Age, Case and Statutory Supplement (2011) (Stat. Supp.)
Syllabus PDF
Date | Materials; Statute; Problems |
Th 8/25 PPT |
Historical Introduction M&D 1-13; Introduction to the patent document, pp. 13-26; Introduction to Claims & Patent System: M&D 26-66 |
Tu 8/30 PPT |
Patentable Subject Matter: Stat. Supp. 35 USC § 101; In re Bilski, M&D 79-107 |
Th 9/1 PPT |
101 (cont’d): Chakrabarty, Laws of Nature, etc.: M&D 67-79; Natural Substances, M&D 106-110; Association for Molecular Pathology (Myriad), Course website |
Tu 9/6 PPT |
Utility: Brana, M&D 234-243; Ex parte Fisher, M&D 244-256 |
Th 9/8 PPT |
Enablement and Written Description: Intro and Incandescent Lamp, M&D 261-276; Janssen v. Teva, M&D, 287-296; Stat Supp. 35 USC § 112 |
Tu 9/13 PPT |
Intro. and Gentry Gallery, M&D 302-312; Ariad v. Eli Lilly, M&D 316-336 |
Th 9/15 PPT |
Definiteness and Best Mode: Orthokinetics, M&D 337-341; Notes on Standard Oil, Ambiguous Language, Functional Language and Functional Claiming, 341-350; Chemcast and Note, 358-365 |
Tu 9/20 PPT |
Introduction to Novelty: Intro and Robertson, M&D 367-380; Stat. Supp. 35 USC § 102; In re Klopfenstein and Note, 415-422. Introduction to “First to File”: Basic Concepts and Prior Art Categories (material to be distributed) |
Th 9/22 PPT |
Novelty II, 102(e) and (f): Note on Novelty and the Economics of Search, M&D 427-431; §102(e): Alexander Milburn, 432-438; §102(f): Campbell, M&D 441-448 |
Tu 9/27 PPT |
Priority, §102(g)(1) & (2): Intro., Brown v. Barbacid, M&D 448-465; Peeler and Notes on Abandoned, etc., M&D 465-472; Dow, 477-487; Note on Rule 131, 491-492; Stat. Supp. § 102(g) |
Th 9/29 PPT |
Statutory Bars I and Presumption of Validity: Intro, 517-519; 527-529; Egbert, Moleculon, Metallizing Engineering, M&D 530-544; i4i Ltd., book supp |
Tu 10/4 PPT |
On Sale Bar and Experimental Use: Pfaff, 544-558; City of Elizabeth, M&D 562-569; Lough, 569-577 |
Th 10/6 PPT |
Third Party Activity: Baxter, WL Gore, M&D 577-591; International Considerations, 593-596; Summary & Problems, 596-600 |
Tu 10/11 | **No Class** |
Th 10/13 PPT |
Nonobviousness: Intro, Hotchkiss, Historical Note, M&D 619-633; Graham, M&D 638-653 [stop reading Graham opinion before discussion of Cook case]; US v. Adams, 661-670 |
Tu 10/18 PPT | Suggestion Test: Intro (“Subtests”) and KSR v. Teleflex, M&D 670-692; Obviousness after KSR & In re Kubin, M&D 692-706 |
Th 10/20 PPT | §102/103 Prior Art and Analogous Arts: Intro and Hazeltine, M&D 747-751; Note, Economic Rationale, M&D 760-761; Oddzon, M&D 761-767; Intro & Clay M&D 780-788 |
Tu 10/25 PPT | Claims I: Intro and Merrill, M&D 797-804; Intro and Phillips, M&D 804-821; Note on Canons, 821-829 |
Th 10/27 PPT | Claims II: Intro and Wright Co. v. Paulhan, M&D 829-834; Note on Purposive Claim Construction, 834-837; Intro and Markman, M&D 852-865 |
Tu 11/1 PPT |
Claims III: Doctrine of Equivalents and Prosecution History Estoppel: Festo, M&D 871-888 |
Th 11/3 PPT | Joint and Divided Infringement, BMC Resources v. Paymentech & Notes, M&D 847-852; updates from recent cases (to be supplied) |
Tu 11/8 |
Indirect Infringement: Intro and CR Bard, M&D 914-915; M&D 923-931; GlobalTech Appliances, Inc. v. SEB, book supplement |
Th 11/10 |
Injunctions: Intro, eBay, Notes, Additional Notes, M&D, 941-955; Amazon.com, 956-966 |
Tu 11/15 PPT |
Damages: Lucent, M&D 966-986; Grain Processing, and Note M&D 1002-1017 |
Th 11/17 PPT |
Willful Infringement, Reissue and Reexamination: In re Seagate Technology, M&D 1027-1037; Intro to Reissues and , M&D 1080-1081; Mentor Corp., M&D 1086-1088; Intro to Reexamination and Rodime and Notes, Note on Inter Partes Reexamination, M&D 1099-1107 |
Tu 11/22 PPT |
Defenses: Prosecution Delay Laches and Inequitable Conduct: Symbol Technologies, M&D 1109-1112; 1137-1146; Therasense, book supp. |
Th 11/24 | ** No Class – Happy Thanksgiving ** |
Tu 11/29 PPT |
Coinvention and Ownership: Burroughs-Wellcome; Ethicon, M&D 1147-1155; 1169-1189; Stanford v. Roche, book supp. |
Th 12/1 | Review Session |