About Tyler Trent
Tyler Trent Ochoa is a distinguished Professor of Law at Santa Clara University School of Law, located in Santa Clara, California. He has been a member of the California State Bar since 1989, marking over three decades of legal practice and scholarship. Ochoa earned his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1987, a prestigious institution known for its rigorous academic environment. His legal career began with a clerkship for the Honorable Cecil F. Poole of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit during the 1987-1988 term, where he gained invaluable insights into appellate law.
Before joining Santa Clara University, Ochoa served as a Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Intellectual Property Law at Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California. His tenure there allowed him to shape the next generation of lawyers while also expanding his expertise in intellectual property law. From 1988 to 1993, he practiced as an associate at Brown & Bain in Palo Alto, California. During this time, he specialized in copyright and trade secret litigation, particularly in the realm of computer software, establishing a strong foundation in intellectual property issues. At Santa Clara University, Professor Ochoa teaches a variety of courses, including copyright law, trademark law, rights of publicity, and international intellectual property. His contributions to legal literature are noteworthy; he is the author of annual updates to "The Law of Copyright" (West 2024 edition) and co-authored "Copyright Law" (Carolina Academic Press, 12th ed., forthcoming 2025), a widely used casebook in law schools across the country.
His scholarly work has garnered significant attention, including an article entitled "Patent and Copyright Term Extension and the Constitution: A Historical Perspective," which was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in the landmark case Eldred v. Ashcroft, 537 U.S. 186 (2003). In addition to his teaching and writing, Professor Ochoa has been actively engaged in the legal community. He has filed numerous amicus briefs in copyright cases, some of which have been cited by the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. His expertise has made him a sought-after speaker on copyright law at programs sponsored by the U.S. Copyright Office, the Copyright Society of the USA, and various intellectual property law associations. Beyond his academic and legal accomplishments, Ochoa gained public recognition as a two-time champion on the TV game show "Jeopardy!" and as a champion on "Win Ben Stein’s Money." He is also a member of the California Lawyers Association, further demonstrating his commitment to the legal profession. Professor Ochoa's experience in intellectual property law, combined with his active participation in legal scholarship and public engagement, shows his significant contributions to the field. His work continues to influence both legal practice and academic discourse in intellectual property law.
