The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law today announced it will offer a new online certificate program called Certificate in Law – Intellectual Property. It was developed to address the increasing demand to safeguard intellectual property assets such as inventions, marks, technological innovations, and artistic works.
The program will launch in October and be part-time. It will provide training for professionals including inventors, scientists, developers, engineers, designers, artists, writers, investors, entrepreneurs, those who manage intellectual property or cybersecurity, and those who work in the legal field.
“We created and designed this program in response to the growth in the intellectual property field in the past 15 years,” says Wissam Aoun, program director and a professor at U-D Mercy Law School. “The Certificate in Law will teach participants about intellectual property and cybersecurity laws, the legal protection of ideas and works, and monitoring and managing their intellectual property after legal protection has been obtained.”
From 2004-2016, there has been a significant increase in intellectual property filings, with U.S. patent applications up 41 percent, trademark applications up nearly 43 percent, and copyright applications remaining steady.
During the same period, worldwide patent applications rose nearly 50 percent and trademark applications rose by 54 percent. Organizations have expanded their intellectual property staffs to include lawyers, non-lawyers, and technology experts as a result. The program format is designed to be flexible for working professionals.
The first seven-week course, Introduction to Intellectual Property, begins Oct. 1 with additional courses in the program starting in January, March, and May. Other courses include Patent Law, Trademark and Marketing Law, and Cybersecurity Law.
“The Certificate in Law will continue the school’s tradition of preparing students for real-world situations by learning the law through innovative types of study,” says Phyllis Crocker, dean of the law school.
To complete the certification, participants take one seven-week course at a time. Each require two to five hours of commitment per week. Pre-recorded video lectures are available for viewing at the participants’ convenience, and there are opportunities for real-time interactions with classmates and instructors.
The certificate can be completed part-time in a year or longer. Special discounts are available for groups, federal and state employees, and active military.
