Intellectual Property Case Briefs
Intellectual property law protects creations of the mind — inventions, literary and artistic works, trade names, and trade secrets. The course covers patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret law, examining how IP rights are created, enforced, and balanced against public access.
The cases below include landmark decisions like Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music (fair use), Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank (patent eligibility), and Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Products (trade dress). You will also find cases on copyright infringement, trademark dilution, utility patents, and the intersection of IP with technology and innovation.
Each brief follows standard law-school format to help you master intellectual property concepts for class, outlines, and exams.
A&M Records v. Napster
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. v. Hunting World
Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank
Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International
AMF Inc. v. Sleekcraft Boats
Arnstein v. Porter
Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics
Bilski v. Kappos
Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co.
Bonito Boats v. Thunder Craft Boats
Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music
Computer Associates v. Altai
Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox
Diamond v. Chakrabarty
E.I. du Pont de Nemours v. Christopher
eBay Inc. v. MercExchange
eBay v. MercExchange
Eldred v. Ashcroft
Feist Publications v. Rural Telephone
Feist Publications v. Rural Telephone Service
Festo Corp. v. Shoketsu Kinzoku Kogyo
Google LLC v. Oracle America
Google v. Oracle
Graham v. John Deere Co.
Harper & Row v. Nation Enterprises
Kewanee Oil Co. v. Bicron Corp.
KSR International v. Teleflex
Lotus Development v. Borland International
Matal v. Tam
Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories
Mazer v. Stein
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios v. Grokster
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer v. Grokster
Moseley v. V Secret Catalogue
Nichols v. Universal Pictures
Perfect 10 v. Amazon.com
Phillips v. AWH Corp.
Polaroid Corp. v. Polarad Electronics
Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Products
Qualitex v. Jacobson Products
Sony Corp. v. Universal City Studios
Sony v. Universal City Studios
Star Athletica v. Varsity Brands
Traffix Devices v. Marketing Displays
Two Pesos v. Taco Cabana
Wal-Mart Stores v. Samara Brothers