Course Details

Patent Preparation & Prosecution Workshop

The Patent Preparation and Prosecution Course is focused practically on preparing and obtaining issued patents having both broad coverage and sufficient detail for contingencies which may arise at the patent office, in licensing, and in litigation. Students will receive an invention disclosure and have an interactive invention disclosure session with the professors and/or university inventors. Using information from the invention disclosure session and other materials provided, each small group of students will then apply the core applicable laws and regulations in preparing an actual patent application. The course will focus on how to "engineer" a patent application within the legal "structural" constraints, including patent claim drafting, patent claim mechanics and legal interpretation, preparation of a patent specification (written description, enablement, best mode), with special emphasis on claim drafting for numerous different types of inventions. If time permits (based upon student feedback), we may also cover amendments and responses to office actions from the USPTO, additional foreign requirements for international protection, and approaches for preparing software patents in light of US patent office guidelines and recent precedent. Drafts of sections (claims, specification) of each group's patent application will be submitted at regular intervals, with opportunities to meet online or in person with and receive feedback from the professors and revise the application accordingly. Regular and much shorter assignments will also include claim drafting and brief specification drafting from inventions provided in class, which will be submitted by each student, reviewed in class, and reviewed individually or in groups, including review by other students. Although not required and at the student's option, students can also meet regularly in small groups and/or individually with the professor for individualized feedback on course assignments and drafts of their actual patent applications. Evaluation will be based on each student's or group's patent application prepared during the course, along with individual class participation during interactive sessions, and regular course assignments. Prerequisites: a background in science, technology, or engineering; MSL patent law course.

Catalog Number: INTPROP 910-0

Additional Course Information: MSL students only


Course History

Spring 2024
Title: Patent Preparation & Prosecution Workshop
Faculty: Ryan, Margot
Dyar, Scott
Section: 1     Credits: 1.5
Capacity: 24     Actual: 13

Fall 2023
Title: Patent Preparation & Prosecution Workshop
Faculty: Garber, Amy Sara
Section: 1ON     Credits: 1.5
Capacity: 50     Actual: 3

Spring 2023
Title: Patent Preparation & Prosecution Workshop
Faculty: Ryan, Margot
Dyar, Scott
Section: 1     Credits: 1.5
Capacity: 24     Actual: 7

Fall 2022
Title: Patent Preparation & Prosecution Workshop
Faculty: Garber, Amy Sara
Section: 1ON     Credits: 1.5
Capacity: 50     Actual: 8

Spring 2022
Title: Patent Preparation & Prosecution Workshop
Faculty: Gamburd, Nancy R (courses | profile)
Garber, Amy Sara
Section: 1     Credits: 1.5
Capacity: 25     Actual: 11