| Brochure
The innovations that produce economic growth and
social progress arise first as ideas. The cost of bringing a new idea to market can be extraordinarily
high, but the cost of copying that idea is often very cheap. Intellectual
property law tries to balance society's interest in having incentives
to create intellectual property with the need to distribute that property
optimally for social benefit. The ability of digital technologies to
copy and exploit the advantages of unique intellectual achievements
presents new challenges for intellectual property law, making it
one of the fastest-growing legal specialties in the United States.
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 Flash Video
Prof. Chris Sprigman discusses the intellectual property program and his personal research in copyright law and the fashion industry.
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Being a good intellectual
property lawyer takes more than knowing laws and policies. It requires
adaptability in a dynamic field and an understanding of the business realities of producing intellectual works. Students interested in intellectual property benefit from Virginia's Program in Law & Business, which brings business and legal analysis into the classroom through courses in accounting and finance; enhanced core business law courses; and short courses taught by senior counsel and executive officers from major corporations. Virginia produces advocates who have a strong practical grounding in the business of intellectual property, empowering them to apply their knowledge to new issues and technologies effectively.
Program | Curriculum | Patent
& Licensing Clinics
Faculty | Student
Organizations