Intellectual Property & Technology Summer Sessions
Washington D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland
May 30 THROUGH JUne 30
Each summer, AUWCL's renowned intellectual property & technology program offers a broad selection of short courses for law students and practitioners. Summer Session courses are available for transferable academic credit and a certificate of completion.
Our summer courses are an excellent way to gain practical skills for unique Washington, D.C. area intellectual property litigation practices as well as to further careers in technology law that require exposure to a broad array of legal fields.
For the first time since pre-pandemic, the Geneva IP program will be offered again!
Specialty Certificates are offered upon completing at least two credits in either the Patent Litigation or IP & Technology Practice groups of courses. Courses may also be taken a la carte.
Instructor: Michael Carroll
May 30 - June 2 | TuWThF | 9:00-12:00 pm
Virtual
1 credit
This course provides an introduction to the treaties and principles of international intellectual property law. The course includes review of aspects of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (“TRIPS”), and WIPO administered intellectual property treaties. The course is a basic introduction to both the principles of intellectual property and to international treaty law and does not require prior course work in either field.
Privacy Across Borders
Alex Joel
Instructor: Alex Joel
June 7, 14, 21, & 28 | W | 6:00-9:00pm
Virtual
1 Credit
Privacy Challenges for Big Tech in a Digitized World. New technologies have created a tidal wave of data that, depending on how they are collected and analyzed, could deliver important societal benefits, or pose critical risks to privacy. Such data could be essential for protecting national security and public health, developing innovative products and services, and generating breakthroughs in scientific research. At the same time, they could reveal more personal information about our private lives than at any time in history. The private sector is moving forward quickly to develop and deploy new technologies, while legal frameworks lag behind and develop in different and potentially inconsistent directions around the world. This seminar will explore the regulatory and oversight structures that countries are putting in place to ensure that society realizes technology’s promise while managing its privacy risks.
Instructors: David Cavanaugh (Wilmer Hale), Jon Stroud (Unified Patents)
June 10, 11 | SaSu | 10:00-4:00 pm
In-Person with Asynch Material
1 Credit
This course will cover post-grant proceedings (PGPs) before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO). With the enactment of the America Invent Acts in 2011, the PTO has implemented several new proceedings which permit the review of the validity of U.S. patents through a contentious proceeding at the PTO. Full Course Description
Instructor: Ross Dannenberg
May 31 - June 2 | TWTHF | 6:00-8:45pm
In-Person
1 Credit
Video game developers face a unique combination of legal issues and hurdles from initial concept, through development, and continuing through the release of each new game. At the outset, intellectual property plays a key role in protecting video games, and freedom of speech is a recurring theme. Full Course Description
Music Licensing
Eric Schwartz
Instructors: Eric Schwartz
June 16, 17, & 19 | F, Sa, M | 10:00-3:00pm
In-Person
1 Credit
This course provides an overview of music licensing and related copyright issues, including: (1) The parties comprising the “music” licensing eco-system: songwriters, music publishers, performers (featured and non-featured), engineers, producers, record labels, collecting rights societies (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, Global Music Rights and SoundExchange), music streaming services (Spotify, Tidal, Apple, Pandora etc.), download services (iTunes), upload sites (YouTube), and consumers (UGC, fan sites etc.); (2) An examination of the exclusive rights of copyright – “works” versus “sound recordings” – plus the licensing structure of negotiated licenses versus “statutory licenses” (17 U.S.C. § 106 (works); for sound recordings §§ 106(6), 112, 114 and 115), and, an analysis of public performance issues; (3) Basics of licensing and payment schemes, including changes resulting from the 2018 Music Modernization Act; (4) Miscellaneous issues: collecting societies and consent decrees (and DoJ review), direct licensing, international issues, and case law.
2023 Summer Courses: Geneva, Switzerland
Christine Farley
Intellectual Property in the Multilateral System
This two-week course focused on the World Trade Organization and World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, and offers students an in-depth look at international issues in IP and trade. The unit on the WTO provides an overview of the substantive areas of international economic relations that are covered in the text of the WTO Agreements and look at the workings of the different WTO divisions. The unit on Intellectual Property in the Multilateral System includes comparative study of international treaties on intellectual property. The course will cover contemporary debates around the role of intellectual property in development. (Full course description)
Full-Tuition Scholarships for Government Delegates from Developing Countries
As part of our partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization Academy, American University is pleased to offer five full-tuition scholarships to the Rulemaking and Dispute Resolution course for employees of government delegations of developing countries. **Applications for 2023 will be available in March 2023.
