Module Content

1. Overview of the sources of intellectual property law (national, regional and international) and main principles stemming from international accords such as reciprocity.
2. Analysis of the effect of international intellectual property law on both the industrialised and developing nations.
3. Relevance of intellectual property law to international trade.
4. Application of intellectual property law to the specific issues such as those set out in Module Aims (above) and case study scenarios.
5. Consideration of global intellectual property regulation for the future, for example in relation to bio-prospecting, the Internet and e-commerce.
6. Content of the module also reflects research interests of the various tutors.

Teaching Methods

Preparation for the online workshops will involve extensive research and reading, to consider and critically analyse the set topics and the discussion questions, set in advance, arising from those topics. Students are expected to prepare answers to the discussion questions and present these to, and discuss with, the workshop tutor and group in the context of synchronous and / or asynchronous discussions. In addition to the skills of analysis and research, students are expected to develop and apply skills of analytical discussion, oral expression and writing. Students will engage with other students and staff in online activities, and synchronous and asynchronous workshops, to consider and critically analyse particular sources and engage in discussion leading to development of these skills.
The synchronous and asynchronous workshops also give students the opportunity to synthesise in a more dynamic way the independent learning already undertaken and apply principles from various themes covered in the workshop activity sheets. The final workshop will take place two-weeks before the submission deadline for coursework and run as a revision session.

Assessment Methods

This module is assessed through one Written Assessment and one Written Exam.