Intellectual Property Summer Institute

9AM - 12PM EST

Professor Mary LaFrance, Professor of IP Law, University of Nevada at Las Vegas

Students will learn the principles of federal income taxation that are relevant to the creation, acquisition, exploitation, disposition, and infringement of different kinds of intellectual property. Upon completing the course, they will be able to identify tax issues arising from a client’s activities related to intellectual property, explain the relevant principles to clients, and advise clients on the necessity of obtaining expert tax advice regarding those activities.

1:30PM - 4:30PM EST

Professor Rich Kurz, Partner, Haug Partners

In the life sciences industry, which encompasses pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals, patent protection and exclusivity rights are of critical importance. For industry innovators, patents and exclusivity rights are essential for companies and academic institutions to protect and recoup the very substantial research and development investments that are made to discover and develop new medicines and biologics that can treat and cure ailments, diseases, and other medical conditions. For generic drug and biosimilar manufacturers, challenging those patents—and the financial incentives to do so—allows them to manufacture and market affordable medicines with relatively small investments. The Federal Courts, U.S. Congress, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have created a body of case law, statutes, and regulations that are tailored to this industry. These laws and regulations provide both incentives to innovators to bring new products to market, and also incentives to those who seek to market generic equivalents or biosimilars of the products before the innovators’ patent rights and exclusivities expire. This course will delve into many of the laws and regulations that should be understood by anyone who is interested in patent litigation, prosecution, or licensing in the life sciences industry.

9AM - 12PM EST

Professor Brian Winterfeldt, Founder and Principal, Winterfeldt IP Group

This course will offer an overview of how trademarks are represented in the digital world, from domain names and websites to cutting-edge technologies such as NFTs, AI and the metaverse, and the specialized strategies needed to protect them across all online spaces. The course will also offer practical guidance on developing holistic intellectual property portfolios that integrate digital brand protection, exploring the specific needs of a variety of industries and business concerns.

9AM - 12PM EST

Professor Ilkka Rahnasto, President, Avanci Broadcast; former Head of Intellectual Property, Nokia

This course considers how companies with varying business models use their intellectual property to create value for their respective company. The course will cover patent, trademark, and copyright monetization, illustrating how IP is used to create revenue. More specifically, the course will cover patent licensing monetization, trademarks and franchising, and music licensing. The course will have industry speakers from various companies. 

1:30PM - 4:30PM

Professor Micky Minhas, IP Center Executive Director, UNH Franklin Pierce; Senior Vice President, Marconi; former Chief Patent Counsel, Microsoft

Data is often referred to as “the new oil” – while unrefined it holds no value, properly gathered and used it powers entire industries. The collection, use, and marketing of personal data is one of the most significant resources of our time. The limits of using data are typically governed by an evolving body of privacy, copyright and trade secret laws. Increasingly, national security is also being used as a reason to limit the exploitation of data.

This course will explore the various legal regimes that apply to regulate data, its use in artificial intelligence, large language models, copyright and fair use, privacy, property, and security, and where there are gaps and overlaps. The course will discuss how the use of AI is treated at the local, national, and international level, and what conflicts and public policy questions result.

1:30PM-4:30PM EST

Professor Dawn Atlas, VP, Enforcement and AGC, Calvin Klein

Students will study the main subject areas that comprise “Fashion Law”, including licensing, privacy and security, international intellectual property portfolio management, domain portfolio management, sustainability and claim substantiation, anti-counterfeiting, social media/advertising, virtual goods and use of AI. Through in-depth exposure to each of these areas, students will be able to navigate complex real world brand issues, manage risk analysis, and have a working understanding of how intellectual property interfaces with fashion brands. Students will also be given an infrastructure and step-by-step guide with which to establish or improve an existing brand protection program. In class hours will be satisfied through topic specific presentations with outlines and summaries of pertinent law and its application along with the review and discussion of recent case law, administrative guidelines, and cutting-edge fact patterns currently in the news. Each topic will be analyzed and presented from the perspective of US based outside counsel, followed by the corporate perspective from the US (Americas), EMEA and APAC, as applicable. Out-of-class hours will be dedicated to the review of case law, white papers, Green Guidelines, FTC and US Customs regulations, and industry/trade association articles.