| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 16 Hours. Two one hour lectures per week |
| Seminars / Tutorials | 3 Hours. Three one hour seminars during the semester |
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Exam | 1.5 Hours | 100% |
| Supplementary Assessment | By retaking the failed element |
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of the way in which intellectual property is regulated by the law with particular reference to the policy issues behind any decisions to protect intellectual property or to consign it to the public domain. Students will acquire knowledge of the statutory provisions and case law relating to copyright, designs, patents and trade marks. From this basis students will develop the ability to critically evaluate the often conflicting interests of the creators, the rights owners and the users of intellectual property. In particular students will develop the ability to interpret and apply statutory provision to a range of situations. The module draws extensively on interpreting current legislation and as such enables the students to develop the ability to apply the substantive provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act to practical situations.
In order to achieve the learning outcomes, the seminars and assessment method focus on the skills of problem solving and policy evaluation, plus the assessment and interpretation of source material and its practical application. A considerable amount of material relevant to the module is available electronically and therefore study of the module will also enhance students Information Technology skills particularly in terms of the use of electronic databases and the Internet.
Intellectual property law looks at the legal protection of new ideas and new products. It is an area where law is constantly responding to technological change. Intellectual property is used by us all and operates in several layers, with rights and protection arising in a number of ways. For example, Coca Cola Co. has a trade secret in its formula for Coke and a multi-billion pound trade mark. They pay a considerable sum per day to the inventor of the ring pull on drinks cans for the use of his patent. Perhaps of less economic significance, but of no less importance in terms of intellectual property protection, students generate copyrights in all their written work and make constant use of the copyrights of others in books, journals, software, databases and the Internet.
This module is at CQFW Level 6