Rubrics of that kind will pick up a number of topics not within intellectual property but frequently related to intellectual property issues. Sports law, for example, will give considerable weight to contract negotiations, agency, and the like, as well as the athlete's right of publicity. Most large law firms have some lawyers who specialize in intellectual property, commonly with different emphases. One lawyer may specialize in the arts, another in computerwares, another in trademarks. Or they may divide the work, as above, according to the activity.
Patent law tends to be a specialized practice in smaller firms.
There are currently two regular course offerings and one seminar dealing with intellectual property law. The course covers the federal copyright statute and case law and emphasizes the protection of literary, artistic, musical, and other expressive works. The areas of doctrine covered include copyright, patent, trademark, trade secrets, and the right of publicity. Recent developments in the laws governing computer software, the Internet, and industrial design also receive some attention. It also examines newly developing areas of intellectual property law such as the right of publicity and the protection of computer software.