Course Objectives

The course provides students with an understanding of how copyright and industrial rights may be protected, and how intellectual property, products and services may be protected by patents, trademarks and design protection. The course considers the conditions for protection, assessment of alternative methods of protection, why protection is necessary, how protection is achieved and how far the protection extends. Throughout the course students will work in groups with relevant assignments.

The course aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills to enable them to assess how the rights of new products and services may be best protected, and how they should proceed in acquiring protection. The course will provide useful competence for almost all types of work within the field of product and services development, and will also be useful to those who plan to start their own businesses.

Course Description

The course will focus on the following topics: copyright, patent law, design and trademark protection.

Learning Methods

3-5 hours of lectures per week during the spring semester.

Assessment Methods

Portfolio assessment: Obligatory group assignments which must be submitted in several parts. All of the assignments must receive passing marks.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean