Law 677 | Patent Law | Spring 2002

T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F P E N N S Y L V A N I A L A W S C H O O L

P A T E N T L A W

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notices:	Congratulations to the Spring 2002 class for an excellent semester. Patent Law will return in Spring 2003. A review of the final results and grading is available here [ pdf ] and from the Downloads page.

About Commentary Posts

Commentary Posts (CPs) are short essays written by students on a rotating basis, and posted to the class discussion board. They are designed to: (1) encourage students to read and consider the topics and reading materials before the class meeting time; and (2) stimulate both in-class and out-of-class discussion.

Requirements

Length.
At least 500 words. (This is about 3/4 page, single spaced.) There is no maximum length, though the intent is to keep them brief yet useful for other students.

Where/How to turn them in.
Post them in the appropriate thread on the class discussion board -- the one labeled with the topic and date you’ve been assigned. This is achieved by clicking on the first message in the thread (posted by the instructor) and “replying” to this message. BE SURE TO POST IN THE CORRECT LOCATION: STUDENTS WHO POST IN THE WRONG THREAD WILL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT.

Content.
For general information about content, see “Content Suggestions” below. Content-related requirements are as follows:

CPs must be on-topic. That is, they must relate directly to the assigned topic and/or reading materials.

CPs must be original to you. You can include quotes and links, but be sure to attribute them and respond to or discuss them in your own words.

CPs cannot be repetitive of an earlier-posted CP on the same topic. Several students are assigned the same topic/materials. You can respond with your views on an earlier-posted CP, but don’t just repeat what’s already there.

When to Post.
All CPs for a particular topic must be posted by 12:00 noon the day prior to the class meeting to discuss that topic. That is, if you are assigned the topic that will be considered at the Janury 8 class meeting, you must post your CP by 12:00 noon on January 7. Note that the “non-repetition” policy lends an incentive to post earlier rather than later.

How to find your Assigned Topic.
Review the Class Groups page to find your assigned group. Check the Schedule page to find the days you're assigned.

Content Suggestions

The content of a CP is open-ended and largely subject to the preferences of the individual student. (Subject to the content guidelines noted above, of course.) Keeping in mind that the goal of the CPs is to stimulate discussion and understanding, some possible topic ideas are listed below (this is not an exclusive list – feel free to take your own approach):

¶ a brief summary of one or more of the assigned reading materials, with analytic/responsive comments;

¶ an overview of competing arguments or points of debate related to the topic, with your views;

¶ a suggestion for further reading on the topic, with appropriate links and responsive commentary;

¶ a response to views expressed in an earlier-posted CP.