Categories: Intellectual Property

Instructor(s)

Frenchick, Grady

Course Data

Room 3253
T 4:35pm-6:35pm

Pass/Fail: Yes

Course Description

“What’s in a name?....” This course investigates on both practical and theoretical levels the domestic and international law of identifying, protecting, transferring and asserting trade symbols – particularly trademarks.. An understanding of such issues is important for business clients, particularly in marketing, and the lawyers who advise them. Coke, Aspirin, Apple, Bucky Badger, Yahoo, product colors, restaurant décor, and the iPad configuration are examples of such trade symbols . Start-ups and early stage businesses have both company identity and product/service identity issues that can be the difference between success and failure. This course develops both an understanding of the competing theoretical rationales for protection of trade symbols, and a knowledge of the mechanics of the federal and state laws concerning such symbols.

This course is offered on a 2 or 3 credit basis. The basic course will be two credits. A third credit can be earned by preparation of a 10- 15 page paper on trade symbol-related topic to be discussed and agreed-upon by the student and the instructor.

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