Academic Programs

In this Section

Within the Syracuse University College of Law, SIPLI is a component of the Technology Commercialization Curricular Program for students seeking directed guidance in developing skills for intellectual property commercialization and technology transfer. Crandall Melvin Professor of Law Shubha Ghosh directs SIPLI and the Curricular Program, also providing consultation to the Innovation Law Center, guiding students, and conducting research in the area of IP and technology commercialization.

The Curricular Program includes:

Core Innovation Law Courses

Law 815: Innovation Law-Practicum

This experiential learning course allows students interested in the areas of intellectual property and technology commercialization to apply their knowledge to an actual new technology under development. Students, sometimes from multiple disciplines, work in supervised teams consulting with real-world companies, entrepreneurs, or universities that are seeking to commercialize a product or service.

This course therefore engages the student in a project that has real technology and a real client. The project is undertaken as part of the New York State Science & Technology Law Center, which is affiliated with the Innovation Law Center and the College of Law. The practicum also offers a series of tutorials given by subject matter experts in order to expose the student to issues that involve engineering, business, and legal concepts.

The finished product includes a report and presentation that cover such topics as: analyzing the technology, investigating IP protection, examining the market landscape, identifying regulatory concerns, and exploring opportunities for funding or licensing.

Law 824 (Advising the Start-Up I)

This course is part one of a two-part six credit sequence. Part One focuses on the legal issues commonly arising in the formation of a new business, especially one that entails technology and intellectual property. Topics covered include:

  • Business entities for the start-up, especially the unincorporated entity and holding companies.
  • Nonprofit entities and universities, especially donation of IP, Bayh-Dole Act, and university IP policies
  • Licensing, especially negotiation and term-sheets
  • Employment law, especially IP rules on ownership and contractual transfers and restrictions such as grant-backs
  • Antitrust, especially guidelines on IP licensing and rule of reason/per se distinction.
Law 825 (Advising the Start-up II)

This course is part two of a two-part six credit sequence. Part Two focuses on the regulatory foundations for start-ups. Topics to be covered include:

  • International intellectual property concerns pertaining to issues of design protection and choice of markets.
  • Rules governing technology licenses, such as no-challenge clauses, covenants not to sue, field of use restrictions, territorial divisions, decision to sell versus license
  • Exhaustion
  • FDA regulation of drugs and devices, especially review process, biologics, Hatch-Waxman and generics
  • Telecommunications regulations, particularly Digital Millenium Copyright Act, FCC licensing, network neutrality debate
  • Antitrust, especially merger review, reverse payment settlements, interface with intellectual property licensing and practice.

Curriculum by Subject Area (NOTE: Changes Pending)

College of Law Curriculum
Intellectual Property Law Curriculum

Advanced Patent Law and Policy

Patent Prosecution

Communications Law

Patents and Trade Secrets

Computer Law

Technology Transactions Law

Copyright—Literary and Artistic Works

Technology Commercialization Research Center

Federal Income Taxation: Corporate

Trademarks and Unfair Competition

Internet Law

Law, Technology, and Management

Advanced Patent Law and Policy

Internet Law

Communications Law

Law and Market Economy

Computer Law

Patents and Trade Secrets

Copyright—Literary and Artistic Works

Patent Prosecution

Copyright Protection of New Technology

Products Liability

Federal Income Taxation II – Taxation of

Technology Transactions Law

Business Transactions

Technology Commercialization Research Center

Intellectual Property

Trademarks and Unfair Competition

International and Foreign Intellectual Property Law

Curricular Program in IP and Technology Commercialization  (NOTE: Changes Pending)

College of Law Academic Handbook
Program Description

The Concentration in Technology Commercialization Law Studies is designed to prepare students to practice in the fields of technology entrepreneurship, intellectual property and technology -related business law. The Concentration includes in-depth course work in licensing law, commercializing university technologies, industry employer-employee intellectual property rights, secured transactions, antitrust law, taxation of technology creation and transfer, business organizations and management responsibilities, and financing technology innovation. The course work includes a number of exercises including the valuation of an early-stage technology, performing an intellectual property search, negotiating and drafting a venture capital investment term sheet, and negotiating and drafting a complex license agreement.

The Concentration in Technology Commercialization Law Studies Program also includes clinical work in the Technology Commercialization Research Center (TCRC). The TCRC undertakes technology commercialization projects on behalf of technology companies, research universities and federal laboratories. Student teams work over the course of a semester preparing a technology commercialization research report which includes an evaluation of the technology being studied , research on potential market applications, and an analysis of the legal and regulatory hurdles that must be addressed in bringing the technology to market.

Requirements

The total course work necessary for the Technology Commercialization Law Studies will generally be 24 credits; 9 credits of required course work and 15 credits of elective course work. Students are encouraged to use their 6 non-law credits to take graduate courses in Management, Information Studies, and Engineering. Students must earn a minimum average GPA of 3.0 in all courses counted toward satisfaction of program requirements and no such course can be taken Pass/Fail. Please note that these requirements do not displace the rules governing all curricular programs which are listed in the Academic Handbook and should be consulted.

Required Courses
  • Technology Transfer (Law 814)
  • Technology Transfer Research Center (Law 815)
Elective Courses

Students must take at least three courses from the Intellectual Property elective categories and at least two courses from the Commercial Law elective categories.

Intellectual Property Courses
  • Intellectual Property
  • Patents & Trade Secrets
  • Patent Prosecution
  • Unfair Competition
  • Internet Law
  • Computer Law
Commercial Law Courses
  • Bankruptcy Law
  • Commercial Transactions
  • Business Associations
  • Federal Income Taxation I & II
  • International Business Transactions I & II
  • Antitrust Law
  • Creditors’ Rights
  • Federal Government Contracts
  • Securities Regulations

The elective course requirements can be modified with permission of the Program Director.

For more information, contact Professor Shubha Ghosh at sghosh01@law.syr.edu or 315.443.2532