The Use of Contracts to Protect Property Rights

Read the summary of the Wrench LLC v. Taco Bell Corporation case in the “Ethics: Implied-in-Fact Contract Prevents Unjust Result” section of Ch. 9. It is suggested that you also research and read the full court opinion, using the summary in the textbook to aid your understanding of the legal issues presented.

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper using Microsoft® Word to address the following questions:

• What type of intellectual property was at issue in this case? Were these ideas entitled to protection under the law?
• Explain the difference between an implied-in-law (quasi contract) and an implied-in-fact contract. What type of contract was at issue in this case?
• Explain what the parties could have done differently to protect their rights and avoid this dispute.
• Explain how a properly written contract could have been utilized for the licensing and use of the intellectual property to prevent the issue, and provide terms you would recommend be included in such a contract.
• Identify and explain each of the elements that would have been necessary to form a valid contract.