What is Innovation Intensive?

The Innovation Intensive Clinic affords students an immersive opportunity to work on-site in SUNY Polytechnic’s laboratories and partner with interdisciplinary teams to understand and work within the technology commercialization process in a university setting. With a heavy focus on intellectual property law and the regulation of new technologies, students will be on the cutting edge of both the law and such rapidly evolving areas as nanotechnologies, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence.

This course has several main objectives. It is intended to give students a firm grasp of the legal fundamentals of intellectual property (IP) protection (e.g., patents, copyrights, etc.) and transactions (e.g., options, licenses and other contracts), as well as a basis in areas of emerging tech, such as nanoengineering, quantum, and artificial intelligence.

On the legal side, for the first of two main objectives we will focus on US patent law, copyright law, and federal laws that enable technology commercialization for federally sponsored inventions, such as the Bayh-Dole Act and the Stevenson-Wydler Act. By the end of the course, you should be able to demonstrate a detailed knowledge of both the art and science of invention evaluation and commercialization activities, i.e., the stages of IP transactions, the negotiation decision making process, etc., as well as a basic understanding of the requirements for federally sponsored inventions, different types of patents and USPTO office communications, the critical problem-solving skills and strategies that lawyers and negotiators employ in the course of IP transactions. The second objective is to introduce you to legal and technical research methods useful in subsequent education and careers.
Given these objectives, this course attempts to ensure that students will be able to demonstrate all of Albany Law’s institutional Learning Outcomes: i.e., a foundational knowledge and understanding of substantive and procedural law (Albany Law School’s LO #1); the ability to communicate effectively, in writing and orally (LO #2); basic legal research, analysis, reasoning and problem-solving skills (LO #3); the ability to exercise proper professional and ethical responsibilities to clients and to the legal system (LO #4); a knowledge and an understanding of the Lawyer’s professional responsibility to advance the mission of service to the underrepresented so that all individuals have equal access to the privileges of our justice system (LO #5); and an awareness and understanding of the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to be competent and effective lawyers in a multicultural world (LO #6).

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to assess an invention and determine the appropriate type of IP protection needed. Students should be able to conduct market analysis and develop IP and marketing strategies for emerging technologies. Students should fully understand the process of technology transfer from initial development of an invention through it becoming a product on the shelf.

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