This course will examine the precepts of trademark and unfair competition law. We will investigate issues of ownership, registration, goodwill, misappropriation, infringement, and dilution in the context of words, phrases, symbols, slogans, product design, and trade dress. The course will also explore related issues such as false and comparative advertising, rights of publicity, and fair use. Hybrid Juris Doctor students cannot take this course for an S/U grade.

E-Commerce and the Law is designed to encourage examination of the rapidly evolving areas of the law that seek to resolve the issues of ownership, privacy, liability, and access (among others) as they relate to information and knowledge technologies. Commerce, the sum of individual transactions that drive our society and create value, has been molded and sometimes disrupted by the opportunities and challenges presented by advances in information technology. One could say that this course is an overview and look into the future of law for the ever-changing digital and information age economy, and the legal environment that will define and shape legal practice in the coming decades. In many ways this course supplements and builds on the subjects in the classical legal curriculum with examples of how changes in technology are manifesting themselves in new legal problems and issues for the economy and society.

Students wishing to engage in academic work (such as authoring or co-authoring a paper under the supervision of a faculty member, working in a supervised law firm or in-house position, or some other project, the final work product to be received by the Registrar) may be eligible and able to work with a faculty member to oversee and guide the work, as well as to provide structure, milestones, and assessment of the work. Credits, grading, and prerequisites will depend on the nature of the work and determined in conjunction with the faculty member.

Students wishing to engage in academic work (such as authoring or co-authoring a paper under the supervision of a faculty member, working in a supervised law firm or in-house position, or some other project, the final work product to be received by the Registrar) may be eligible and able to work with a faculty member to oversee and guide the work, as well as to provide structure, milestones, and assessment of the work. Credits, grading, and prerequisites will depend on the nature of the work and determined in conjunction with the faculty member.