Intellectual Property Law Basics for Computer Science Instructors (Abstract Only)

Increasingly the practice of computing involves legal issues. Patenting algorithms, domain name poaching, downloading music, and "re-using" HTML and graphics from web sites all raise questions of intellectual property (IP) law (which includes patents, copyrights, trade secrets, and trademarks). In the classroom, computer science educators often confront questions that have legal ramifications. The presenter, who is both a computer scientist and a lawyer, will introduce the basics of intellectual property law to give instructors a framework for recognizing the issues, answering students' questions, debunking the most egregious misconceptions about IP, and understanding generally how the law and computing interact. All CS educators are welcome; no computer is required.