| International and comparative law of patents, trade secrets and related rights |
| Section A: Comparative law of patents |
| · Introduction to patents: history, justifications, agreements |
| · Methods of applying for a patent |
| · Patentability |
| · The person skilled in the art, priority and grace periods |
| · Entitlement/ownership of patents |
| · Infringement and exceptions to infringement |
| · Transactions in patents |
| · Translations (London Agreement) |
| · Compulsory licensing and Crown use |
| · Plant variety protection systems |
| Section B: Comparative law of trade secrets |
| · Why protect trade secrets? |
| · The distinction between commercial trade secrets and privacy |
| · Relationship between trade secrets and patenting |
| · Is confidential information property? |
| · The law of trade secrets |
| · Inter-relationship with data protection law |
| Section C: International agreements on patent law |
| · Paris Convention |
| · TRIPS Agreement |
· Other regional or international agreements:
- Patent Cooperation Treaty
- Budapest Treaty
- Patent Law Treaty
- UPOV Convention |
· Proposed agreements:
- Proposed Substantive Patent Law Treaty |
| · European Community Patent Regulation / Convention |
| Section D: Current issues in international patent law and policy |
| · Biotechnological patenting (so-called life patents and gene patents) |
| · Patenting of computer software and business methods |
| · “Patent quality” |
| · Development and “Access to Knowledge” |
Sequence:
The sections must be attempted in order. |
Textbooks:
Lionel Bently and Brad Sherman, Intellectual Property Law 3rd ed (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), ISBN: 9780199292042 |
| Andrew Christie and Stephen Gare (eds), Blackstone’s Statutes on Intellectual Property 9th ed (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), ISBN: 9780199238262 |
