S. IP Transactional Practice: Counseling, Negotiating, and Drafting

This is a drafting and negotiating course that focuses on providing you with useful, hands-on experience with documents you are likely to encounter in the field of intellectual property law. The ultimate goal is to help students develop practical counseling, negotiating, drafting and analytical tools. Throughout the semester, the course is structured to reiterate the importance of understanding client and counter-party interests and leveraging this understanding into superior counseling, negotiating and drafting skill sets.

We will focus upon developing clear, effective counseling, negotiating and writing skills that you can utilize in any of the five areas of intellectual property law -- Copyrights, Trademarks, Patents, Trade Secrets and Rights of Publicity.. The main practical goal is to provide you with the knowledge and skills required to allow you to counsel, negotiate, draft and constructively comment upon agreements used in transactions involving the ownership, licensing, transfer and protection of intellectual property rights.

The class time in this seminar will be devoted to discussions about important concepts and ideas introduced through discussion of actual agreements, the homework reading assignments and various cases. Drafting and revising agreements is discussed in class and focused upon in homework assignments. The significant interplay among counseling, negotiating and drafting will constantly be highlighted through in-class exercises.

Another significant element of the class time will be the Third Annual Intellectual Property Law in the 21st Century Panel of Artists and Lawyers. As with all other aspects of this class, students are expected to play a very interactive role in preparing questions for the Panel and in engaging the speakers.

Grades will be based on the following criteria:

50% Class attendance and participation. Class attendance is very important and lateness and absences may affect your grade negatively. Classroom attendance is significant because there is diversity of thought that is critical to classroom discussion and the exercises.

The difference between the outlook of a student with a patent background and a student with more of a copyright or trademark law background is pivotal in providing a comprehensive understanding of the intellectual property agreements and their context. Also, different students will have different experience levels in negotiating and counseling. In order to maximize the collaborative learning from each other, it is essential for all students to be in class.

30% Homework Assignments . Late homework submission may result in a grade reduction.

20% Final Project Like the homeworks, the grade for the Final will be decreased if it is submitted late.

This course is limited to 20 students and is open to J.D. and LL.M candidates as well as students from other Schools at Columbia University, including but not limited to the School of the Arts, the Engineering School (SEAS), the Business School, the Journalism School and.the School of International and Public Affairs Attendance at the first class is mandatory for all registered students and for wait-listed students who wish to be considered for admission to the seminar.

Application is required for admission. To apply, please submit a short cover letter and resume to Professor Fowler-Williams at [email protected] by 11:59 PM on Tuesday, November 9 2021. In your short cover letter, briefly describe the intellectual property law and lawyering skills courses you have taken as well as those you plan to take concurrently with this course.If you are not a law student, please feel free to describe courses that you think may also be of interest to your classmates and Professor Fowler-Williams.