The center manages the Intellectual Property Law Program at The University of Akron School of Law. Nationally respected, it is one of only a few IP centers in the United States. The center exposes the community to critical thinking in the intellectual property field, invites distinguished speakers to campus, and hosts an annual symposium on Intellectual Property Law and Policy -
The Richard C. Sughrue Symposium on Intellectual Law and Policy.
Jeffrey M. Samuels is the center's director and the David L. Brennan Professor of Law. He served as assistant commisioner of patents and trademarks of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He currently chairs the Trademark Public Advisory Committee of the USPTO. Under his leadership, the center works closely with government, business and industry to advise and educate leaders on intellectual property and its impact on economic development.
Jay Dratler, Jr. is the Goodyear Professor of Intellectual Property. He is the author of a two-volume treatise, Intellectual Property Law: Commercial, Creative, and Industrial Property (1991), and a one-volume treatise, Licensing of Intellectual Property (1994), each of which he updates annually. Professor Dratler has lectured internationally in Australia, Indonesia, Korea and Russia.
A. Samuel Oddi is the Giles Sutherland Rich Professor of Intellectual Property. He is nationally recognized for his IP scholarship, as well as teaching IP abroad. Professor Oddi has served as the senior legal officer at the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
Supporting the center are more than two dozen IP professionals who comprise the
IP Advisory Council . Their contributions of time, talent and resources help establish the center as a preeminent center of excellence. The council advances the IP curriculum, fosters relationships with businesses and law firms, and assists students with career planning visits.