Additional Information

Instruction Mode: Online
Who owns ideas? What is idea theft and how does it influence decision making and behavior in organizations? How does idea ownership, protection, and theft manifest in diverse contexts, such as the music industry, cannabis entrepreneurship, and independent invention? How do individuals protect their intellectual property, and what do they do when they have no legal support in that protection? In The Ownership, Protection, & Theft of Ideas, such questions are explored from both an academic and a practical perspective. The objectives of this course are for students to gain a multidisciplinary perspective on intellectual property; to think critically about how individuals, groups, and organizations conceptualize idea ownership and theft; and to generate insight into how the growth of the knowledge economy has changed the way individuals think about idea theft. Topics covered in this course include: the philosophy of idea ownership, intellectual property law (patents, copyright, and trademarks), unconscious idea theft, and idea theft in organizations. We will explore these topics within both conventional and contemporary contexts, like traditional organizations, independent invention, music, and the growing cannabis industry.