Patent Law

Course Leader: Sadaf Shariat

Home Institution: University of South Wales, UK

 

Course Overview

 The module aims to:

  • Provide a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of advanced patent law themes.
  • Provide critical interpretation and analysis of the UK, EU and International law relating to patents
  • Provide critical consideration of the issues relating to international patent litigation and alternative dispute resolution

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate a detailed understanding of relevant legal and secondary sources.
  • Interpret, evaluate, critically analyse and apply the theories, case law, statutes and regulations related to different aspects patents, in a national and international perspective.
  • Identify deficiencies in law or policy and to propose recommendations for reform.

Course Content

  • Analysis of the legal framework of the patent system in domestic, European, international law; global perspectives; future of patent law and proposed European changes
  • Infringement, defences, patent infringement remedies in Europe and internationally, licensing and exploitation;
  • International patent litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution;
  • Competition law issues; standard essential patents; and technology transfer;
  • Analysis of selected contemporary issues in Patent Law (patenting artificial intelligence inventions, biotechnology patents and healthcare, etc.)

Instructional Method

The module contains a series of developed and incremental stages of learning through two principal teaching vehicles;

  • A series of lectures 21 hours
  • A series of (associated) seminars 21 hours

Significant weight is placed upon the seminar series as a vehicle for developing through structured tasks, challenges and materials, investigation of legal phenomena and understanding of the same. In relation to the seminar, the lecture forms an initial and correlative basis for introduction of concepts, principles and rules of the subject matter but also a ‘trigger’ for thought provocation around and in relation to ideas relevant to the subject matter. Seminars will require engagement with materials and ideas and through structured individual and group tasks, to provide a basis for a student’s own or shared description and assessment of the subject matter. In so doing and within the particular demands of legal study, the student will engage in the acquisition of knowledge of relevant subject matter, will be able to develop a continuum of understanding and an ability to provide for the articulation of their knowledge and, where applicable, the application of this to provide relevant and cogent answers and solutions to problems.

Other Learning & Teaching Activities:

  • Directed study (including online independent learning): 20 hours
  • Independent Study: 60 hours

Required Course Materials

Latest editions of the following texts:

Main Texts

Bently and Sherman, Intellectual Property Law (OUP)

Aplin and Davis, Intellectual Property Law: Text, Cases and Materials (OUP)

Recommended Additional Reading

Pilla & Torremans, European Intellectual Property Law (OUP)

Brown, Kheria, Cornwell, Iljadicia, Contemporary Intellectual Property: Law and Policy (OUP)

Holyoak and Torremans, Intellectual Property Law (OUP)

Cornish, Llewelyn and Aplin, Intellectual Property, Sweet & Maxwell

Cornish, Llewelyn and Aplin, Intellectual Property, Sweet & Maxwell

Fisher, Fundamentals of Patent Law (Hart Publishing)

Pottage and Sherman Figures of Invention: A History of Modern Patent Law (OUP)

Journals

Intellectual Property Quarterly

Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice

European Intellectual Property Review

International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition 

Assessment

 A prepared oral presentation by a candidate before assessor(s) and possibly peers, where knowledge, technical content, ability to answer questions and presentational skills are assessed. (weight: 100%, duration: 15 minutes)