Prof. Michael J. Madison: Trademark Law (Fall 2007)

Prof. Michael J. Madison
Associate Dean for Research
Associate Professor of Law
University of Pittsburgh School of Law
3900 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
+1 412 648 7855 (ph)
+1 412 648 2648 (fax)
michael.j.madison [at] gmail [dot] com

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Trademark Law (Fall 2007)
This page provides administrative information about the course.
[Go to the Course Homepage] [Download the Syllabus] [Find the Memo Assignments]

Class Meeting Time and Place **Note Room Change Effective Monday, September 10, 2007**

Class will meet Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:25 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. in Room 109 113. The room location is subject to change.  Check the boards on the Second Floor for the most up-to-date information.

Contacting Prof. Madison

I have learned that few students ever appear during scheduled office hours, so I don't schedule them.  I am happy to meet with you at your convenience.  My office is Room 303.  Make an appointment via e-mail at madison@pitt.edu or michael.j.madison@gmail.com.

Required Course Materials

  • Graeme B. Dinwoodie & Mark D. Janis, Trademarks and Unfair Competition: Law and Policy (Second Edition, 2007);

  • Graeme B. Dinwoodie & Mark D. Janis, Trademarks and Unfair Competition: Law and Policy / 2007-2008 Case and Statutory Supplement.

Optional Course Materials

  • Mary LaFrance, Understanding Trademark Law (2005)
    (an excellent one-volume summary of trademark doctrine)

  • J. Thomas McCarthy, McCarthy on Trademarks and Unfair Competition.  This is the authoritative multi-volume treatise on trademark law.  It is available on the Law Library shelves.  It is also available online via the law library's homepage.  Contact a law librarian for assistance.

  • The optional law review articles listed on the course syllabus are available online via a TWEN page at Westlaw.

Slides

Slides used in class will be posted afterward on this page.  All of the files below are rendered in pdf format.

Grading

The grade for this course will be based on three short open research memos.  The first two memos will each be worth 30% of the final grade.  The final memo will be worth 40% of the final grade.  The substance and format of the memos, their timing, and their due dates will be discussed in class as the semester progresses. 

Memorandum Requirements

Overview  Each memorandum will be based on a written problem distributed in class.  There will be an opportunity to discuss the problem and ask questions about it after it is distributed.  Each problem will be based on the readings and classroom discussions.  The problems are designed so that they can be completed without independent research, but these will be open problems; there are no limits on the resources that students may bring to bear on their work.

Format  Memoranda must be typed or printed using a computer.  Unless I tell you otherwise, each memorandum must be not longer than four [4] typewritten or printed pages, double-spaced, with 1" minimum margins on all sides.  No footnotes are permitted.  Twelve [12] point proportional-width font (such as Times New Roman) must be used.

Grading  Memoranda will be graded based on form, format, and writing quality as well as on content.  The problems are designed so as not to have any single correct or even best solution.  Each problem will present a range of issues that the memorandum should identify, analyze, and solve in a creative way.

Due dates  Hard copies of all memos will be required and will be due at the office of Professor Madison's secretary, in Room 314, not later than 4:30 p.m. on their respective due dates.  Electronic (e-mailed) copies are not acceptable.  There will be no extensions or exceptions to memo deadlines.  Memoranda that do not conform to the format instructions above, or that are turned in late, are subject to grade reductions; in extreme cases, I may disregard them.

The Memorandum Assignments are posted here.

Email policy

Course announcements will be posted from time to time via email and will be posted online.  You may send substantive questions about trademark law to me at my email address.  In general, however, my practice is to respond to questions during class.

Last updated: November 30, 2007