This course addresses the fundamentals of obtaining and enforcing intellectual property rights through U.S. patent protection. The public policy of fostering innovation through the grant of exclusionary rights to inventors is considered with a detailed examination of the statutory requirements of patentability (utility, novelty, and nonobviousness) and disclosure (written description, enablement, and best mode). The role of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and the federal courts, particularly the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, in implementing this policy is explored. A technical proficiency in science or engineering is neither required nor favored.