This lesson explores section 2 of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1052, which prohibits certain types of trademarks from being registered on the Principal Register of the PTO, regardless of whether those marks are protectible under state law or under section 43 of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125.
The classic rhetoric of Cardozo in Meinhard v. Salmon hides a delicate economic intuition justifying broad fiduciary obligations. This lesson parses closely the text of the dissent and the majority to recognize the idiosyncratic facts that make this a pivotal case. The focus is on the economic ramifications of Cardozo's choice.
This lesson reviews the basic components of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). It works best as a review of materials covered in a Hazardous Waste or Toxic Torts class, but it can also serve as an introduction to the statute.
In this lesson, you will learn about the International Court of Justice, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. After an introduction to the Court, you'll learn about some of the print reporters of the Court's decisions and online sources for these opinions. Finally, there will be a discussion of print and online digests of the Court's decisions.
This lesson discusses the requirement that a work be "fixed in a tangible medium of expression" as a condition to obtaining copyright protection. Although it assumes a basic familiarity with copyright law and terminology, it is designed to stand alone. It can, therefore, be used either as an introduction to the fixation requirement or as a review of those concepts after a class discussion.
This lesson explores how trademark law deals with two specific categories of marks: foreign (non-English) words and people's names. It addresses their ability to function as marks as well as how they should be assessed when determining infringement. The lesson assumes a working familiarity with the "distinctiveness" requirement, the fair use doctrine, and the likelihood of confusion test for infringement.
This lesson introduces you to the so-called "formal" process for making administrative rules and regulations. Under the federal Administrative Procedure Act, there are two separate and distinct processes for making rules: the "informal" process and the "formal" process. In a prior lesson, we examined the informal process. This lesson examines the formal process in greater detail. The lesson is designed for students who have studied these issues in class and who wish to refine their knowledge and understanding of the issues.
This lesson deals with the formation of contracts under Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code (excluding § 2-207 issues). Under UCC § 2-204, a contract can be formed in any manner sufficient to show agreement, even if the parties leave open terms. This lesson will explore the effect of the difference in formation between common law and Article 2.
This exercise covers these four, most commonly used, specific exceptions to the Hearsay rule: 1) Present sense impressions; 2) Excited utterances; 3) State of Mind; and 4) Business records. The student will be applying these four exceptions in the context of scenarios presenting hypotheticals. The student's goal in this lesson is to work with the four exceptions, to gain a basic understanding of them with a focus on those fundamentals and problem areas identified in the FRE's Advisory Committee's Notes, recent judicial decisions, and legal commentators.
This lesson is designed to introduce students to the Fourth Amendment prohibition against "unreasonable searches and seizures." The goal is to provide students with an overview of the history of the Fourth Amendment, as well as an introduction to the warrant requirement and the concept of warrantless searches. The lesson is intended for students who have studied these issues in class, and wish to refine their knowledge.
This exercise is intended for students who have studied this issue in class, and wish to refine and apply what they have learned. It includes several essay questions, along with their model answers.
The lesson covers the 2014 Uniform Voidable Transactions Act (a slightly amended Uniform Fraudulent Transfers Act) and section 548 of the Bankruptcy Code. Two subsequent lessons cover (a) defenses and (b) the application of fraudulent transfer law to Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs).