Technology Licensing – Fall 2015
161 College Avenue
Medford, MA 02155
USA
Location: Tufts University, Halligan Hall, Room H102,
161 College Ave., Medford, MA 02155
Speaker: Christine Kuta, Kuta Intellectual Property Law, LLC
Decision (Run/Cancel) Date for this Courses is 28 Sep 2015
Payment received by 24 Sep
IEEE Members $50
Non-members $65
Payment received after 24 Sep
IEEE Members $65
Non-members $80
Phone 781-245-5405
email sec.boston@ieee.org
Fax 781-245-5406
Make Checks payable to:
IEEE Boston Section
One Centre Street, Suite 203
Wakefield, MA 01880
Course Summary
Technology licensing touches almost everyone who works in engineering or in any entrepreneurial endeavors. This class will cover license elements and legal bases and will include some considerations in navigating the open source world.
Brief description: Licensing involves elements of contract law and property law including Intellectual Property. Understanding the elements of a license and their legal bases can lead to a more informed choice of licensed product and can enable better resolution of the inevitable license changes and conflicts.
Target audience: Anyone who works in engineering or is a technology entrepreneur, and anyone who uses, or is interested in licensing, open source software, open source hardware; wants to incorporate open source elements into their projects.
Benefits of attending: Understanding the legal bases of licensing will lead to a greater understanding of the benefits and risks at issue in any particular license which will enable a more informed choice of license. Also, understanding the elements and requirements of a license will demystify license compliance. The course will include handouts and lists of resources.
Course Outline:
I. Legal basics.
A. Definition of a license
B. The essence of property law
C. Intellectual property overview
D. Contract law
E. A little bit of Uniform Code of Commercial Transactions (UCC)
II. A deeper understanding of licenses: common elements and requirements, such as duration and termination, warranties and limitations on liability.
A. Patent licenses including the difference between a license and assignment
B. Software licenses including open source
C. Other licenses:
1. Trademark
2. Open source hardware
Christine Kuta bio: Christine Kuta is an Intellectual Property lawyer. Her practice includes Intellectual Property strategy, portfolio development and management, and patent and trademark prosecution. Ms. Kuta counsels clients in a wide variety of technical areas including computer systems and software applications, communications and computer networks, medical devices, lighting systems, materials and manufacturing processes, complex data management systems, electronics, energy management systems and energy storage including fuel cells, mechanical devices and consumer products including clothing and accessories.
Ms. Kuta has been in private practice for over ten years. Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Kuta worked in the computer industry for fifteen years, first as a hardware engineer, then as a software engineer, and later as in-house Intellectual Property counsel. Ms. Kuta earned her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from M.I.T. and her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.